


Apotheosis

by Clash (cheeptricks)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (background) daisuga, (background) kagehina, (background) tsukiyama, Alternate Universe - Dark, AsaNoya - Freeform, Explicit Language, Gore, Graphic Description of Corpses, M/M, Slow Burn, Symbolism, Zombie AU, guys it's gonna be sad, really sad just you wait, will add more tags when i think of them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-10 18:30:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 43,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6999655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheeptricks/pseuds/Clash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There wasn’t time to react. The boy was no longer human. His eyes, golden in color, were wide and glazed over. He lunged, grabbing Asahi’s arm, which he’d flung over his chest defensively. Sharp, cracked nails dug into his skin, and he could vaguely hear Suga and Daichi screaming behind him. He couldn’t make out their words- it were as though he had cotton stuffed deep into both of his ears, muffling sound. All he could think about was that this zombie had a striking resemblance to Nishinoya.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Temporary Peace

**Author's Note:**

> Oh man okay. Every fandom needs its obligatory zombie AU. I'm not sure if there are any in the Haikyuu fandom just yet, and if so, here's another one.  
> I've never really written a fanfic so this I'm sorry if the characters seem out of character, I promise I'll try my best to keep them as accurate as I can!
> 
> This fic is going to be sad. Guys I'm serious it's gonna be pretty angsty. It was supposed to be a one-shot but once it hit 10,000 words I said screw it so now it's gonna be a few chapters. rip me
> 
> ANYWAYS here's the first bit, please leave a comment/kudos !! I'd appreciate it a lot !!

Two weeks. It’d already been that long, it seemed, as Asahi watched Daichi carve the fourteenth dash in the drywall of the classroom with a small pocketknife. Tomorrow, he’d add a strike through the four tally marks, creating the third set of five. It’d become a strange, unspoken comfort- keeping track of the days helped to maintain some semblance of familiarity in a world that had turned upside down with no warning whatsoever.

Beside him, Hinata and Kageyama were just waking up. The fiery-haired first-year gave a wide yawn, looking comically familiar to a baby bird. He sat up on his blanket, rubbing his eye subconsciously, before turning to shake Tobio’s shoulder to wake him. The taller first year gave a low grunt of disdain, curling up tighter, ignoring Hinata’s whines.

With a faint smile, Asahi turned away, though he could still hear their soft bickering.  _ Another thing that hasn’t changed, at least. _ He mused to himself. Pulling his legs beneath him, he steadily got to his feet, stretching his bulky arms above his head. The action warmed his stiff muscles- They’d dragged the mattresses from the nurse’s office into the classroom after deciding to stay at the school. They served as makeshift futons, and were definitely preferable to the tile. Despite the (meager) improvement, the mattresses were extremely uncomfortable, and they always left his muscles feeling achey.

As he stretched, his dark brown eyes flicked over to Nishinoya’s makeshift bed beside his own. As usual, the other had gotten up ridiculously early, leaving his blankets in a disarray. This was nothing new, either. Even during the training camps, before the outbreaks, he’d always been the first one up. 

The team’s libero had made a point to keep up with old habits. He’d always been somewhat of a health freak, and over the past few days, he’d been going on jogs around the school with Tanaka before the sun rose. He’d tried to get Asahi to join him a few days ago, but unlike Nishinoya, he was definitely  _ not _ a morning person, and he’d gone back to sleep before Nishinoya even got the chance to finish his request. He’d asked him every morning, including this one, but Asahi was never coherent enough during such ungodly hours to even give him a response. The only reason Asahi even  _ knew _ that Nishinoya had asked him was because the energetic libero had complained to him about it after returning.

Asahi let his thoughts travel to the other remaining teammates. As he bent over to stretch his legs, he wondered vaguely what had happened to those that’d left. It was only natural that some people had opted to leave- they may have wanted to go find family, or didn’t really want to stay with them, or whatever their reasons may be. Most didn’t give a reason for leaving, of course. There hadn’t been much time for discussion when the outbreak reached Karasuno. Many just made split second decisions.

The group consisted of Daichi, Suga, Nishinoya, Tanaka, Hinata, Kageyama, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and himself. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi had run off during the chaos, but they’d showed up about a day after the initial wave of zombies had passed. They’d been tattered and bruised, but they’d come back nevertheless. They hadn’t expected to find the team still at the school, but both of them seemed pleasantly surprised. Well, ‘pleasantly’ might have been an exaggeration in Tsukishima’s case, but he didn’t make any move to argue when Daichi suggested that him and Yamaguchi stay with them. 

Once he was done with his stretching, Asahi moved to the window. He leaned up against the radiator, looking out over the expanse of land in front of him. The sun was just rising in the east, bathing the landscape in a warm yellow-orange. It seemed out of place, considering the grim reality that lay beyond the glass of the window. As pretty as the sight was, with the warm colors reflecting off the bright greens of spring bloom, Asahi was vividly aware of the worms that writhed beneath the pristine surface. He knew that the undead lay sprawled in the streets, in the shops and houses, everywhere, just waiting for a living human to step into its vicinity. 

He’d experienced it himself, much too close for comfort. The haunted look in the zombie’s hollow, cataract-filled eyes. The way decay seemed to happen all-too-fast, before seemingly stopping when its body was just about to fall apart. Yet, it remained just in-tact enough to stumble and hobble around, moaning and groaning in a voice that was only vaguely human. Oh, Asahi knew all too well. The residual echoes of the wet crunch of their skulls beneath his fists hadn’t faded from his consciousness yet. 

Despite his best efforts to keep the graphic images out of his head, they managed to force their way back like a tidal wave over a barrier, consuming his consciousness and drowning him in his own living nightmares.

_ “Suga!” Daichi’s deep howl cut through the chaos. He swung viciously, clobbering an advancing zombie over the head with a baseball bat. The sound of its skull collapsing, its rotten blood spilling over the tile, made Asahi want to vomit, despite the fact that his stomach had been emptied long ago.   _

_ He could only watch as Daichi ran to Suga, who was busy with holding back another zombie. It’d been a girl, still dressed in her school uniform, her dark hair tied back in a high ponytail with a blue ribbon. A large chunk of her lower neck was missing, indicating that it was that wound that’d turned her into such a beast.  _

_ At current, Suga had his hand wrapped underneath her jaw. She clawed at him, her throat emitting horrible, gurgling cries of desire. Suga was too busy keeping her back that he was unable to react when another zombie lurched towards him.  _

_ “S-Suga!” Asahi cried, his voice scratchy from overuse. He was too far away, though. Luckily, Daichi had already seen this coming- he was there in a second, swinging sharply. The beast’s head seemed to explode, like the blooming of a gruesome rose. It was there only for a second before the mass splattered against the wall like an oversized paintball, decorating the white plaster in dark hues of crimson and pinkish grey matter. _

_ Asahi gagged again, needing to turn away. He heard the sound of the bat colliding with yet another corpse, and he knew that Daichi had cut down the schoolgirl zombie. He could vaguely hear Suga’s shaky voice behind him, and Daichi’s deeper one, attempting to comfort him.  _

_ A second later, Daichi’s voice nearly caused Asahi to jump out of his skin. “Asahi, your left!” He barked, voice ridden with horror. _

_ Immediately, Asahi looked up, coming face to face with one of the undead. It was another student, a boy, most likely a second year. He was short, with dark hair, his skin faded to a sickly, pale greenish-purple. It was translucent, so Asahi could very clearly see the darkened veins weaving their way just beneath the papery skin. They were still, filled with stagnant, rotting blood, near black in color but still withholding that distinct tone of red. He had claw marks down his face, and blood matting through his hair, making it stick in clumps. Asahi couldn’t tell where the finishing blow had been dealt- the poor boy seemed to have been mobbed, as though surrounded and overwhelmed, based on the sheer number of wounds on his corpse. _

_ There wasn’t time to react. The boy was no longer human. His eyes, golden in color, were wide and glazed over. He lunged, grabbing Asahi’s arm, which he’d flung over his chest defensively. Sharp, cracked nails dug into his skin, and he could vaguely hear Suga and Daichi screaming behind him. He couldn’t make out their words- it were as though he had cotton stuffed deep into both of his ears, muffling sound. All he could think about was that this zombie had a striking resemblance to Nishinoya. _

_ He couldn’t move. Oh, god, what if this is Nishinoya? The libero had run off when the zombies broke in- they’d been on different sides of the court, and there’d been no time to react when the offensive players and the defensive players were split up. That’d been nearly twenty minutes ago- what if this was Nishinoya? _

_ It was hard to tell how much time had passed. His thoughts flew through his head at a hundred miles an hour, but at the same time, it seemed as though it’d been hours. Still, when his fist swung, acting on its own, he realized that it had only been a fraction of a second. _

_ The sound was like an explosion. His auditory sense seemed to come back all at once, hyper-sensitive to what sounded vaguely like a watermelon being smashed. Asahi was sure that he’d never heard anything so loud- not even the sound of a volleyball hitting his hand on his hardest spikes, not even the sound of the car crash he’d seen when he was six. Nothing could compare to this. Nothing could even begin to come close to how deep the sound cut into his memory.  _

_ It didn’t even feel like he was the one who dealt the killing blow. It felt as though he were only a spectator, watching as someone else controlled his body, swinging his fist into the side of the small zombie’s head. Still, a spectator wouldn’t have been able to felt the cold, slimy blood on their skin, or the limp, bony weight of the corpse as it collapsed upon their feet.  _

_ He didn’t realize that he’d been standing there in a daze until Daichi’s hand was wrapped firmly around his shoulder, yanking him. His voice was far away, muffled, although Asahi could tell that he was practically yelling in his ear. His body moved automatically, turning to run, following instinctually after Daichi and Suga. The only thing that ran through his mind was,  _ **_Oh, god, I killed him. What if he was still alive? What if that really was Nishinoya? Did I just kill Yuu?_ **

_ It was only when they were locked safely inside some kind of supply closet that Asahi began to come to. A sharp pain across his cheek, one that sent his head snapping to the side, seemed to have done the trick. He blinked, his vision slowly begin to focus, senses regaining their sharpness. He found Suga staring at him, biting his lower lip slightly, eyes narrowed. Beside him, Daichi looked pensive, looking between Suga and Asahi nervously. The dim light from the lightbulb over their heads made the other two look ghostly and gaunt, although Asahi knew that it was only a play of shadows. _

_ “Suga, was that necessary…” Daichi mumbled, voice tired and scratchy. _

_ “Yes. Look, I think he’s waking up.” _

_ Asahi blinked once more. His hand slowly lifted, meeting his cheek, which was warm. It stung under his fingers. It also felt oddly… slimy. _

_ “Suga? Did you just…?” He trailed off. His gaze flicked down to his hand. It was coated in a thick layer of sludgy, rotten blood. _

_ “Yes, I did. And it helped-” _

_ Suga was cut off. Asahi’s eyes slowly widened, and realization set in. He let out a choked cry, back sliding against the wall as he forced himself back, every muscle in his body tensing. Oh, god, it was blood- his hands, they were coated in blood, blood of the beast that he’d killed- _

_ “Oh, no, oh g-god, no!” Asahi gasped, feeling a horrible panic begin to tear at his insides. The edges of his vision began turning white, and everything shook and trembled as though he were looking through one of those awful horror movies where the characters hold the cameras. He could hear Suga and Daichi calling his name, but they were drowned out by the sound of his blood roaring in his ears. _

**_I killed him. He’s dead, because of me. I killed someone. I killed someone. Oh god Ikilledsomeone._ **

_ Hands found a place on his shoulders. They slammed him back into a wall, ripping him out of his horror-induced panic. His wide, dark-chocolate colored eyes met the hard mahogany of Daichi’s. “Asahi, snap out of it!” He snarled, shoving the larger third year back into the wall again. Asahi hardly felt it. “You had to do it! It was going to kill you!” _

_ Asahi could only stare in open-mouth horror, before shaking his head. “N-no,” He choked out, gaze falling downwards towards the dusty concrete beneath his feet. “No, he was a person, Daichi- what if he was still-” _

_ “Listen to me, Asahi!” He interrupted. “It wasn’t human anymore. It was going to kill you. You have to understand that!” Daichi’s eyes were ablaze with intensity. Beneath it, however, Asahi could see- despite how easily he was able to cut down the corpses, part of him seemed to be asking the same question.  _ **_What if the person is still inside that corpse? What if they aren’t really dead, and I killed them?_ **

_ Suga leaned in slightly. “Asahi, it’s okay. You didn’t have a choice. If you let it escape, then it would have gone off to try to kill someone else.” He said softly. Asahi’s frightened gaze met Suga’s worried one, and finally, he nodded. _

_ “R-right. I’m sorry. I-I just- it’s a lot-” Asahi stammered after a short moment, tripping over his words. He ducked his head sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”  _

_ Daichi and Suga exchanged a look. Then, Daichi turned back to Asahi. “It’s okay. It’s a lot to take in.” He said, voice softening slightly. “Just don’t pull another… y’know.” _

_ Nodding, Asahi mumbled, “Yeah, I know.” _

_ From there, they’d stayed in that supply closet. It was several hours before the sounds of zombies stumbling past had faded, and the trio risked stepping outside. It seemed that the halls were mostly clear, save for the blood splatters that dappled the white walls and tiles. It was a gruesome sight, although Asahi forced himself to look. Not for his own sake, but for Daichi and Suga- it’d be safer if they had the extra pair of eyes looking after them. But at this point, Asahi didn’t care much for himself. He firmly believed that he’d killed that second year… _

He hadn’t seen a zombie since the outbreak began two weeks ago. He hoped that he wouldn’t ever have to face one again, although the voice at the back of his mind never failed to remind him.  _ Once the power goes out, and the food spoils, you will have to go outside. You will have to face many more if you want to survive. _

With a sigh, Asahi forced the images out of his head for what seemed like the thousandth time. Outside, the landscape was at peace. There were no zombies in sight. Asahi might have even been able to fool himself into thinking that the past two weeks had only been a bad dream, and that he’d woken up to find everything back to normal. However, the unsettling silence was enough to make that impossible. There were no cars, no sounds of life- even the birds were silent, as though in awe of the brutal carnage. Still, the air seemed as though it were emptier than before, as though some kind of ambience were missing.

Swift, pounding footsteps pulled Asahi out of his thoughts. A loud bang, followed by a crash sounded behind him, and he whirled around, his heart nearly popping out of his throat. 

Across the room, Nishinoya and Tanaka flew in through the doorway, skidding to a halt just before slamming into poor Suga, who looked almost comically traumatized. The two didn’t seem to notice, because they turned to each other immediately, hardly sparing Suga a second glance.

“I win!” Nishinoya howled triumphantly, throwing his arms up as he bent his legs slightly, standing in an odd-looking victory pose. He wore a large, goofy grin on his face, his eyes glittering with excitement.

Tanaka howled in protest. “Hell  _ no _ , I beat you by at least  _ 5 whole yards _ !” He retorted, although he had the same excited, hyped-up grin on his face.

Nishinoya’s boisterous laugh filled the room. “That’s what they all say, Tanaka. It’s always 5 yards.” He cackled, slapping his best friend’s back solidly.

With a vicious battle cry, Tanaka launched at Nishinoya, tackling him into a headlock. They laughed brightly as Tanaka roughly messed up Nishinoya’s hair, seemingly in their own rambunctious world, until they seemed to take notice of the menacing aura emanating from their beloved team captain as he slowly approached.

Asahi covered his mouth, heartbeat slowly returning to a normal rate as he gave a soft, quiet chuckle at Nishinoya and Tanaka’s faces. Nishinoya was the first to notice Daichi approaching, and he froze, before beginning to fight against Tanaka’s headlock. Tanaka stared at him in surprise for a moment, before following Nishinoya’s panicked gaze. By the time he saw Daichi, it was already too late.

The captain took both of their shirt collars, yanking them apart. “You two,” He drawled, voice low and rough with its edge of menace. The two second-years cowered, all sense of excitement gone in an instant.

They both clapped their hands together and began frantically apologizing to Daichi, who simply glowered down at them. Meanwhile, behind Daichi, Suga slowly got to his feet, still looking a bit dazed from his near-death experience. From their corner of the room, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi had woken up to the noise. Tsukishima looked downright  _ murderous _ , but Yamaguchi just smiled sheepishly at the upperclassmen’s antics. Kageyama and Hinata just looked incredibly confused, not at all understanding what had just happened over the past 10 seconds or so.

Asahi couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped his lips at the sight. It was so light-hearted and familiar- Nishinoya and Tanaka causing trouble, Daichi berating them, Suga trying to calm him down. It was all so familiar and comforting. It was a momentary distraction from the apocalyptic situation, one of which he was eternally grateful for.

After Daichi was done with his lecture, Nishinoya locked eyes with Asahi. Before the third year could make any move, Nishinoya was on top of him, grabbing his arm. 

Asahi felt the heat rising to his face as he stared down at the hyperactive second year. His mouth was moving, though sounds were muffled. His eyes were wide, pupils small within bright golden depths. His hair was all messed up, as though he’d tried pushing it back, but he’d run out of hair gel a few days ago. All Asahi could think of was Nishinoya’s small, slender hand, one of which could only wrap partially around his bicep. Not only that, but the other’s close proximity, the way Nishinoya had to tilt his head almost entirely back to look up at him, with his chin nearly brushing against Asahi’s chest. 

It took him a moment to realize that Nishinoya was looking at him expectantly. With a start, Asahi realized that he must have asked a question. The embarrassment only served to darken his blush, and he glanced away nervously. “Oh, uh…” He trailed off, before looking back at Nishinoya sheepishly. “What did you say?”

The former libero frowned, eyebrows scrunching slightly in frustration. “I  _ said _ ,” He began, taking in a small breath, “You totally saw me come in first, right? I beat Ryuu by a long shot.” 

Asahi blinked, before smiling faintly, lifting his free arm to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. “Oh, uh, I wasn’t looking. Sorry.” He apologized, a hint of amusement softening his voice.

Nishinoya stared at him for a moment, before groaning. He released Asahi’s arm, only to punch him lightly in the shoulder. “Asahi, you were supposed to say, “Yes, Noya-senpai, I say you come in first”!” He whined. He turned away, crossing his arms. He looked a lot like a toddler in that moment.

Asahi frowned slightly. “Senpai…? Aren’t I the-”

Nishinoya waved at him lightly. “Specifics are irrelevant, Azumane! Point is, I came in first, and I totally  _ crushed _ Ryuu.”

“Ah, well, you almost crushed Suga, too.”

At this, the second-year snorted.  “ _ Almost _ . But I didn’t, so no harm done.” He grinned, snickering softly as he turned away. He darted off to go talk to Hinata and Kageyama. Asahi could only watch as the other interacted with the first years, bringing a wide, awe-filled grin to Hinata’s face at something he said. After a little more chatting (and some teasing, mostly Nishinoya messing with Kageyama) the three stood up. “Daichi-san! We’re going to go bring some breakfast up!” He called. At Daichi’s nod of approval, they left.

Nishinoya had a certain effect on people. He was able to simultaneously gain respect and put people at ease. He seemed to be fearless and confident, and it was contagious. He was the type of person that people could look up to, the rare type that could bring hope, even in a seemingly hopeless situation such as this one.

Asahi knew that, if it weren’t for Nishinoya, their team would have broken apart from tension and fear a long time ago.

Glancing at his arm, he realized his skin was still tingling from where Nishinoya had grabbed it. He blushed slightly, once again remembering how close Nishinoya had gotten to him, how his chest was almost flush against Asahi’s. 

He’d come to terms with it a while ago, before the outbreak began. He had a crush on Nishinoya. The other was everything that Asahi wasn’t- He was outgoing, fearless, respectable… The list could go on and on. They were polar opposites. If one were to go by the phrase ‘opposites attract’, then Asahi and Nishinoya would surely be the perfect match. 

However, Asahi knew that Nishinoya would never even  _ consider _ him as more than a friend. Even the title of ‘friend’ could be debated. After all, the way he acted with Tanaka, his best friend, was vastly different from the way he acted with Asahi. Tanaka was able to reciprocate Nishinoya’s energy, and they could hype each other up. Asahi? He could never do that. All he did was get awkward and flustered. That had to be pretty boring for someone like Nishinoya.

Besides, the guy was  _ way _ out of his league. Nishinoya was attractive, spontaneous, fun… Asahi was none of those things. At least, he didn’t think so. Nishinoya would get bored of him in no time at all. He was better off with someone like Tanaka, who would be able to goof off with Nishinoya.

Asahi hadn’t realized that Suga and Daichi had joined him by the window until they were right next to him. Suga moved to sit on the radiator next to Asahi, while Daichi simply leaned against it on Suga’s other side, crossing his arms. He had pensive look on his face, though he did look more relaxed than he had before. The second-year’s antics seemed to have eased his nerves slightly.

After a moment, though, his expression hardened. Without looking at Suga and Asahi, he murmured, “The power went out sometime during the night.” 

Both Asahi and Suga stiffened. A feeling of dread slowly sank into Asahi’s bones, and he turned to look at Suga, who in turn glanced at him. They mirrored each other’s look of intense concern, before Suga turned to Daichi. Asahi did the same.

At the silence, Daichi sighed softly, turning to give the two other third-years a tired glance. He’d been discussing important issues with Asahi and Suga- as the other two upperclassmen, Daichi sought out their advice before he made any decisions. For example, he’d talked to them before deciding that they should stay at the school instead of going out in search of another place to stay.

Asahi figured that he hadn’t told anyone else. He must have wanted to discuss it with his closest friends before bringing it up to the rest of the team.

“You know what that means. Anything perishable is going to go bad, and fast.” He murmured, voice low as to avoid any eavesdroppers. “There’s a stash of canned and boxed food in the cafeteria, but not much. It seems like people already got to it when the outbreak started.” He closed his eyes, giving a soft sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair in a subconscious motion of stress. 

Suga looked down at the dusty, tiled floor of the classroom. “So we’ll have to go out and search for food.” He mumbled, voicing the other two upperclassmen’s thoughts. 

They were quiet for a moment, before Asahi looked up at Daichi again. “How long will the perishables last?” He asked softly.

Shaking his head, Daichi replied, “Not long. It gets ridiculously hot in the cafeterias this time of year.” He grumbled. “Two days, at best.”

“And the non-perishables?” Suga asked hesitantly.

“We have enough for about a week, if we ration.”

A week, tops. Asahi could feel nausea rising at the pit of his stomach, but he forced it down. No, he had to suck it up and  _ think _ . He couldn’t let the panic take over, not right now. They needed solutions.

With a sigh, Daichi looked up at them. “I was thinking,” He began, gaze flicking between the two of them. “We should go out  _ before _ we run out. It gives us time to go out and explore a little without being desperate for food. We don’t know what’s out there, and we don’t know if there’s even any food to find.” He sighed heavily. “The last thing we need is find out last second that there’s nothing left. At least, if we know, we can pack up what we  _ do _ have and leave.”

Suga and Asahi were silent as they thought about what Daichi said. It made perfect sense, of course. In fact, it was the only option, really. Still, the idea of going outside sent fear and nausea through his body. His immediate fear brought with it a sense of shame- he was supposed to be a leader. He shouldn’t be scared- he should be willing to face the danger for the benefit of his team.  _ If only I had that kind of strength, like Nishinoya… _ He thought to himself, cringing faintly at his own weakness.

Suga was the first to speak. “I think… that would be best.” He said softly. He seemed to have the same concern as Asahi- he didn’t want to leave the school building, either. None of them did. He was sure that everyone on the team would be content to stay in their own little bubble of protection, with all the doors barred up as they were, forever locked away from the harsh reality that lay just beyond the thin drywall. 

Asahi nodded faintly, agreeing with Suga. Daichi, seeming pleased that the other two agreed with him, spoke once more. “Following up on that idea, we will go out in groups of three.” 

Suga and Asahi both looked up at Daichi. “Why three?” Suga questioned.

“Three is a fair number. There’s nine of us, so if three go out at a time, that leaves six of us to stay. Meanwhile, a group of three is enough to keep an eye out, while being few enough to not draw too much attention.” Daichi explained. 

Asahi nodded in understanding. “That’s reasonable.” He said softly. “How are you choosing the groups?”

Pausing, Daichi considered this. Suga spoke up a few seconds later. “Well,” He began hesitantly, “Whoever works best together should be in the group.” He suggested. “Like, we wouldn’t assign someone like Tsukishima to a group with Kageyama, because they’d fight.” 

Nodding, Daichi straightened slightly. “Good idea.” He affirmed. Suga gave him a soft, sheepish smile. Daichi gazed at him for a moment, perhaps a second longer than necessary, before his expression hardened. “I think the groups should have leaders, too. That’s where you two come in.”

Asahi and Suga both stiffened. Once again, dread sunk through him, and he opened his mouth to argue, but Daichi cut him off. “Now, I know what you’re gonna say.” He said sharply. “You’re gonna say, ‘Daichi, I’m not cut out for being a leader’.” He spoke in a lower tone when he mimicked the former ace, and Asahi frowned slightly. He didn’t respond, though. “I’m not having that. As upperclassmen, everyone respects you two. Nobody else is responsible enough to lead, either.”

As much as Asahi hated to admit it, Daichi did have a point. Kageyama was too stubborn and hardheaded to be a leader, and Hinata didn’t have the confidence or the sense to make split-second decisions. Tsukishima was too indifferent, and Yamaguchi too meek. Nishinoya and Tanaka were both too reckless.

Asahi knew that Suga would make a great leader. He was responsible, smart, and cautious. Daichi, of course, would have no problem stepping up to be leader. But Asahi? He’d panic, for sure. Being forced to be leader in a volleyball game, for example, was one thing. But in this case, the lives of his teammates would be on the line. He’d be carrying the weight of their lives on his shoulders…

He could feel a gaze burning at his skin, and when he looked up, Daichi was staring at him with an intense look. “I know that look.” He said sharply. Asahi flinched slightly, eyes widening as he sat up a little straighter. Suga glanced over at him, giving him an apologetic look, as though saying,  _ Sorry, buddy, but I’m on Daichi’s side here. _

Asahi cleared his throat as the silence began to overwhelm him. “Um, what look?” He asked meekly. 

Daichi narrowed his eyes in accusation. “You’re doubting yourself.” He deadpanned. “You don’t think you can do it.”

With a blink of surprise, Asahi vaguely wondered if Daichi could read his mind. “O-oh.” He responded hoarsely. He could feel his throat closing up on him, and he swallowed dryly. “Well, you are kinda… right…” He trailed off shamefully.

With a soft sigh, Daichi shook his head. “Asahi, I’ve known you for a long time.” He began. “You have a heart of gold, but god damn, you always take all the blame.” He looked up at Asahi, eyes glittering with intensity. “If I didn’t think you could do it, I wouldn’t be putting the lives of my teammates in your hands.”

Gulping, Asahi managed to choke out in weak protest. “Daichi…” He trailed off lamely, looking down.

He felt Suga’s hand fall on his shoulder. “Hey, Asahi,” He smiled, voice warm. “I’m with Daichi. You’re the best one for the job. Give yourself a little credit, okay?” 

Suga’s words were soothing, and Asahi felt himself relaxing. He gave the other a look of gratitude, although his anxiety still ate away at him. He knew that’d he’d have to be a leader, no matter how much he protested. He couldn’t disappoint Suga and Daichi. 

“Okay,” Asahi mumbled softly after a moment, “Okay, I’ll do it.”

Daichi and Suga grinned at him, pleased with his answer. “Good. Let’s get to setting up the groups, then.”

After some debate, it was decided. Daichi’s group would be Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, seeing as they were likely to be the most difficult. (Namely, Tsukishima. He wasn’t likely to listen to Suga or Asahi, since they didn’t have the same authoritative presence as Daichi did.) Suga’s group would be Hinata and Kageyama. Asahi’s group would be Nishinoya and Tanaka.

The idea of being in a group with the rambunctious duo rekindled the fire of Asahi’s anxiety. Daichi joked that it’d be easy because Nishinoya wouldn’t leave Asahi’s side, and in turn, Tanaka wouldn’t leave Nishinoya’s. Still, Asahi knew that it was probably because the two would probably be able to handle themselves, and could encourage Asahi. They wouldn’t need Asahi to motivate them, like Hinata might. 

In fact, Asahi wondered if Daichi grouped him with Nishinoya and Tanaka because  _ they _ would be the ones to reassure Asahi, rather than the other way around.

Once it was decided, Daichi called everyone together. They waited a moment for Hinata, Kageyama, and Nishinoya to return. They came back about twenty minutes after they’d left.. Based on the obviously-panicked look on Hinata (that he was trying to hide but failing miserably at, as usual) and the contemplative look on Kageyama’s face, they must have realized that the power was out. 

However, Nishinoya didn’t look phased at all. In his arms, he carried a load of apples and milk cartons, balancing it precariously just under his chin. He went around, demanding that everyone take one of each, before coming to Asahi. He shoved an apple and a milk carton into Asahi’s hands.

“Eat!” The libero ordered, and Asahi quickly took a bite of the apple to earn Nishinoya’s approval. The smaller boy looked pleased at Asahi’s automatic obedience, and decided to sit down next to the former ace. Asahi blushed slightly, noticing how Nishinoya’s knee just barely touched the side of his leg, before looking back up at Daichi, who stood at the head of the semicircle his team had formed around him.

“So, as a few of you may already know,” His gaze flicked around. A few was an understatement- as far as Asahi knew, the only ones who might not know were Tanaka, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi. “The power has gone out. That means that the refrigeration is gone, too…”

The team went quiet, save for the soft munching on the apples. Pretty much everyone knew, so it wasn’t much of a surprise, and they’d known it would happen eventually. 

Daichi continued after his short pause. “So, we’ve decided that we were going to set up small groups to go out and search for food before we run out completely.”

This, in turn, drew in a bigger reaction. Even the munching stopped as the team glanced at eachother, concern and fear in their eyes. They’d known that they would have to go out eventually, but now that the need for it had presented itself so suddenly, it sent a wave of unease throughout the former volleyball team.

Beside him, Nishinoya didn’t seem to have much of a reaction. He seemed to be deep in thought, gaze cast downwards, not quite looking at anything in particular since he was too lost within his mind. He rolled the untouched apple in his hands absently. Asahi was almost in awe- the other didn’t seem afraid at all. In fact, he looked… normal. It were as if the news didn’t bother him at all.  _ He’s so fearless. _

Realizing that he was staring at the libero, Asahi turned away quickly. He locked eyes with Tanaka, who was staring at him intensely from his spot beside Tsukishima. They stared at each other for a moment, neither making a move to look away.

The former ace didn’t have time to think about it when Daichi spoke up again. Asahi looked away from the strange guy, gaze flicking back up to the captain. “The groups will be of three. Suga, Asahi, and myself are the leaders of each group.” He nodded slightly to the two respectively. 

“Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, you’re with me.” Tsukishima had a sour look on his face, turning away with a soft  _ tch _ . Yamaguchi looked rather pleased with this, smiling sheepishly as he elbowed Tsukishima lightly, leaning over to murmur something softly in his ear.

“Hinata and Tobio, you’re with Suga.” For whatever reason, Hinata looked rather excited, and he seemed to be having a hard time sitting still. Kageyama gave Suga a respectful nod, and the upperclassman gave them both a small, bright smile.

“And finally, Nishinoya and Tanaka, you’re with Asahi.” 

Nishinoya whipped around to face Asahi, startling him as he grabbed his arm. “Asahi!” He exclaimed, eyes wide and excited. “Don’t worry, Asahi! I’ll protect you! I’m your libero!” He took one hand off Asahi’s arm as he jutted his thumb at himself smugly.

“N-Noya, I think  _ I’m _ supposed to protect  _ you… _ ” He trailed off, a familiar blush creeping back to his skin. God, why did this have to happen every single time Noya so much as  _ touched _ him!? It was getting ridiculous! He might as well be an elementary schoolgirl!

Nishinoya didn’t seem to hear Asahi. Instead, he was calling Tanaka over. The spiker darted over, sitting down next to the two of them. “Bros have to stick with bros!” Nishinoya exclaimed, and Tanaka laughed. They did some sort of weird handshake that seemed like an exaggerated high five. 

Asahi couldn’t really follow the movements of their hands, and he could only look on helplessly.  _ This is going to be tough… _ Asahi thought to himself worriedly, although admittedly, he was relieved that he didn’t end up with someone like Hinata. He loved Hinata, really, but he didn’t think he could handle someone who relied so much on his role models. He didn’t even know if he could keep  _ himself _ from panicking, nevermind someone else. At least, with Nishinoya and Tanaka in his group, he didn’t have to worry about that. 

Eventually, Nishinoya spoke up. “So, Daichi-san!” He called. As the captain looked over, he spoke continued, “Who’s going out first?” 

One would think that there’d be at least a hint of nervousness or fear in his voice, but this wasn’t the case. The way he asked it made it sound so  _ casual _ , as though he were asking who got first dibs on the shower, rather than who was taking the first step into the dangerous unknown. 

Daichi hesitated, before he spoke. “Well, I think Suga’s group should stay behind first.” He said, looking towards the pale-haired third year. The upperclassman looked a bit surprised, staring at Daichi, before his gaze flicked to Kageyama and Hinata. Poor Hinata looked incredibly nervous, and Asahi expected him to excuse himself to run to the bathroom like he used to before his first few games on the Karasuno team.

Asahi knew that, while Hinata’s nervousness was  _ one _ reason why Daichi chose Suga’s group to wait to go out, it wasn’t the  _ only _ reason. His gaze flicked between the two of them, and he felt a flicker of amusement within his chest. Oh, he knew  _ exactly _ why Daichi held Suga’s group back. 

Still, that meant that it would be either Asahi’s group or Daichi’s group. He swallowed back his fear, before opening his mouth to offer his group, when Nishinoya spoke for him.

“Team Asahi should go first!”

All eyes turned on them. Nishinoya looked comfortable, even pleased by the attention, but Asahi immediately felt self-conscious, and he ducked his head. “Noya…” He mumbled sheepishly. 

He could feel Daichi’s eyes burning on him, but when he spoke, it was to Nishinoya. “Why’s that?” He questioned.

Nishinoya’s response was casual and matter-of-fact. “Well, it makes sense.” He said simply, shrugging. “I think the first-years should stay back. Let us more  _ experienced _ teammates go first.” He lifted his chin proudly.

“You’re not any more experienced in fighting zombies than we are.” Tsukishima deadpanned, his words holding an annoyed edge. He was glaring at the second-year, for whatever reason.

Nishinoya rounded on him. “I don’t see you volunteering,” He snapped sharply. Tanaka was quick to move to Nishinoya’s side, placing a hand on the libero’s shoulder.

Tsukishima looked ready to argue, but Daichi cut him off. “ _ Enough _ . Tsukishima’s got a point, though.” His gaze flicked around the semicircle. “Nobody here is more experienced. All of us are in danger.” He paused for a moment. “However, I do agree with Nishinoya. The upperclassmen should go first.”

His gaze flicked to Asahi. “Are you okay with this?”

Glancing up, Asahi locked eyes with Daichi. At his side, he could feel Nishinoya’s intense stare burning into the side of his skull, and he knew that there was no way he could refuse. Still, the sound of the skull being crushed reverberated through his head once more. That sick, wet crunch, the heavy thud of a body falling. Those milky eyes staring up at him lifelessly, teeth permanently bared behind rotten, shrunken lips. A familiar wave of panic threatened to overwhelm him, but he managed to force it down into whatever pit it’d come from. He couldn’t panic- not here, not now.

“...Yes.” He mumbled meekly after a moment. He ignored Nishinoya’s excited grin, not quite sure how the energetic libero could  _ possibly _ be excited to go out into the zombie-infested town. Then again, it was Nishinoya. He seemed to thrive on taking risks.

He could feel Daichi’s worry. He knew that the captain would have wanted to be the one to go out, rather than risk his teammates. However, he didn’t want to take Tsukishima and Yamaguchi with him, either. Besides, he was captain- if he were to get injured or, god forbid, he were to be killed, the team would be left without its leader. 

It only made sense that Asahi’s group went first. Even if Asahi felt like fainting right about now, he knew this. Like Daichi, he’d rather risk himself than to put his teammates at risk. That simple sentiment made it easier for Asahi to accept his grim fate, although it did nothing to stop the nervousness burning like a cold flame within his chest.

“When are we going?” Nishinoya chirped beside him. He looked just a little too excited- his eyes were wide and glittering as he stared at Daichi, cheeks just slightly pink. He seemed to be having a hard time sitting still. Beside him, Tanaka looked similarly excited, although he had an almost dangerous-looking glint in his eye. It was a similar expression to that of which he wore when he knew one of his spikes were going to score in a volleyball game. 

Asahi only wished he could share their excitement.

Daichi cleared his throat slightly, looking away pensively. “First of all, we need to make sure you’re prepared to go out there.” He grumbled. “We know that the zombies will chase you, and that they will attack you. You need to be ready to fight.”

Tanaka puffed out his chest. “I’ll fight them.” He announced, slamming his fist into his open palm with a heavy  _ slap _ . “I’ll fight a living guy, I’ll fight a dead guy, who cares!” He whirled around to face Tsukishima, who sat directly across the semicircle. “I’ll fight him, too! I’ll fight anyone!”

As Nishinoya doubled over with cackling laughter, Tsukishima stiffened, leaning forward. “Excuse me?” He snapped, narrowing his eyes behind glasses. 

Daichi, in his limitless vigilance, was quick to stop an actual fight before it began. “Enough!” He snapped. His gaze flicked from Tsukishima to Tanaka, sending a glare at the latter. “This is serious! Don’t make a joke out of it!”

Tsukishima sat back, casting one last annoyed glare at Tanaka. The spiker, after being reprimanded by Daichi, ducked his head slightly, scowling. Nishinoya managed to stifle his laughs, looking back up, his eyes only slightly teary.

Daichi glared at both of them. Asahi knew that he was angry, but behind it, he held an intense worry. “If you two are going to goof off, I can’t let you do this.” He shook his head slightly. “I’m not convinced that you know the risk. You could  _ die _ . This isn’t a game.”

This seemed to quiet the two jokesters. They stared at Daichi, before mumbling apologies. The captain watched them for a moment, before slowly relaxing slightly. “Right… We’ll get you set up, then.”

From there, the meeting seemed to end. Everyone stayed together anyways, talking amongst themselves mostly. Daichi and Suga talked to their respective groups, before eventually coming to talk to Asahi, Nishinoya, and Tanaka.

It was decided that the new groups would go around, looking for anything they could use as weapons. They had a few things that some of them had brought back with them- Daichi, for example, still had his baseball bat. Tsukishima had managed to find a machete during his time away from the team, and he still had it with him. However, most of the team was relatively weaponless. 

Daichi, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi had explored the technology wing of the school, and had found a few hammers, some screwdrivers, and a nail gun. They’d also brought back as many cases of nails and screws as they could hold, both as ‘ammunition’ for the nail gun and material to create other weapons.

Suga, Kageyama, and Hinata had gone through the art rooms. There hadn’t been too much to choose from, but they did find various carving knives, as well as an entire case of scissors. Kageyama had managed to get the blade off a large paper cutter- it was huge, the blade itself being nearly 3 feet long and incredibly sharp. 

Asahi, Nishinoya, and Tanaka had raided the sports rooms. They’d found plenty of possible weapons there, as well as defensive gear. Nishinoya had marched in carrying about 7 metal baseball bats, along with a football helmet on his head. Tanaka had come in carrying some golf clubs, wearing football shoulder pads, knee pads, and other various football gear. He’d found the face paint, and of course, he’d put two long dashes across each of his cheekbones. He brought the paint back with him, too, intent on convincing the team to put it on their faces as well. 

Asahi himself carried more protective gear- namely, a towering pile of football padding and helmets. They’d made a few trips back and forth to make sure that they’d had enough helmets.

On their last run to the club rooms, Nishinoya had stopped to check out the outdoor club’ equipment room. A few moments later, Asahi had heard him yelling excitedly, calling him over from inside the room. When Asahi approached to see what Nishinoya was so excited about, he’d had to stop and stare in sheer awe of the closet’s contents.

There was about two shelves of assorted archery bows- longbows, recurve bows, and compound bows. There were more than 20, all in relatively perfect shape. Asahi had to blink a few times before it registered that they’d found an entire  _ stash _ of perfect long-distance weapons. Not only that, but there was a massive bin filled with at least a hundred arrows. Sure, the feathers might be frayed, and they may only be outfitted with target points. However, considering how soft the zombie skulls were compared to human skulls, they would pierce it if enough force backed it up.

“Nishinoya, how did you-” Asahi had whispered, gaze flicking to the combination lock that lay on the floor beside the closet door. How had Nishinoya unlocked it...?

The libero had waved his hand at Asahi dismissively. “Not important!” He chirped. “Let’s get as many as we can.” He’d walked to the shelf, picking up a particularly large, matte black compound bow. He’d held it up, and Asahi had to hold back a snort. It was entirely too big for Nishinoya- it was almost as tall as he was.

Asahi had to walk over and take it from him before he got the idea to test it out. He’d picked up a few of the better looking bows, browsing through the shelves, and Nishinoya began doing the same. When they ran into Tanaka, each holding as many bows as they could, they’d told him to go get the bin of arrows.

They were the last to arrive back at the classroom. As they strutted in, the team turned to look at them, mouths agape. It didn’t seem like anyone knew that the outdoor club even  _ had _ archery equipment. Nevertheless, their find helped to increase the moral of the team as a whole. Suddenly, they had formidable weapons-  _ real _ weapons, not just some hastily constructed tools.

After the initial excitement had passed, the team began messing around with the tools. Daichi picked up the matte black compound bow that Nishinoya had been messing with- it much better suited him than the small libero. He pulled back on the string, testing it, before releasing it. He seemed to be rather pleased with how it responded, and he proceeded to play around with it, figuring out how it worked. 

Beside him, Suga had been testing out bows as well. He seemed to like the recurve bow better than the compound bow, and he’d picked out a dark silvery colored one. He pulled it back across his chest, before releasing it, looking pleasantly surprised. Him and Daichi began working together to figure out good techniques, even if they weren’t using arrows just yet.

Asahi himself was eyeing a particular longbow. It was a dark mahogany, its handle carved. It was about 5 feet long, and it looked very reliable. Nishinoya, who was messing around with another compound bow, seemed to take notice of Asahi’s interested expression.

Before he knew it, Nishinoya had dropped the bow he was holding in favor of picking up the longbow. He turned to Asahi, a wide, toothy grin across his face. Asahi couldn’t help but tense slightly. Oh, he knew that look. It was Nishinoya’s mischievous look. 

_ His adorably mischievous look, _ His mind corrected, but he forced that thought out of his head.  _ Not now, please… _

Nishinoya approached, shoving the longbow into Asahi’s hands. He fumbled with it, before looking down at the libero in dismay. “Noya, what are you-”

“Oh, stuff it, Azumane.” Nishinoya scoffed, cutting him off. “I could see you eyeing that thing from a mile away. Try it out, you wimp!” He grinned brightly, punching Asahi’s shoulder lightly, his eyes wide with expectancy.

Flushing slightly, Asahi rubbed his shoulder. “W-well… if you insist.” He mumbled. He took a step back from the hyperactive second-year, taking a deep breath. A wave of self-conscious nervousness took hold- he could feel Nishinoya’s eyes on him, watching his every move.  _ What if I mess up? _ That pestering voice sounded at the back of his head as he fit his hand into the carved handle of the longbow.  _ What if I just look stupid? Will Nishinoya laugh at me, think I’m dumb? _

With a sigh, Asahi lifted the bow, straightening his arm out. He took the string in his pointer and middle fingers, remembering how he’d shot an arrow a few times in summer camp when he was younger. He slowly pulled it back- the further he pulled, the harder it was to maintain the tension, but it was a surprisingly comfortable resistance. Before he knew it, he had the string all the way across his chest, his arm having pulled it back as far as it could.

He blinked, not realizing that he’d already done it. His gaze followed the curve of the bow, the way the wood bended so easily, but with so much tension built up. It was incredible that it didn’t snap- it was so flexible.

He was so absorbed in his awe of the traditional weapon that it took him a few seconds to remember that Nishinoya had been staring at him. He turned abruptly, locking eyes with Nishinoya, who seemed to have stars in his eyes. He was biting his lower lip, shaking slightly with the effort to reign in some kind of fierce energy. 

Asahi could only stare in open-mouthed confusion at Nishinoya’s awe-filled expression, before the other let out an excited cry. “Ah!” He laughed, “Asahi-san, you’re so- you’re so-” He stammered, before jumping slightly, throwing his arms up in excitement. “You’re so cool! That’s my ace! That thing is  _ perfect _ for you!” 

_ That’s my ace! _ Those three words echoed in Asahi’s head. As Nishinoya rattled off more praise, Asahi slowly slackened the tension on the bow, allowing the string to go back to its resting place. He was too absorbed by Nishinoya’s praise; all other sound faded out, except for those three words that bounced around in his head.  _ That’s my ace! _

He stood in a dazed euphoria, until Nishinoya had Asahi’s shirt collar balled up in one fist, his hand waving in front of Asahi’s face. “Asahi-san! Hey, Asahi-san, you awake, bro?” 

Blinking, Asahi looked down at the second-year. His gold eyes were still brimming with excitement and humor, despite his exasperated tone. “You’re zoning out. Jeez, you’re spacey.” He complained, but his lips were stretched in a wide smile.

_ His lips. _ A strange impulse made him want to lean down and kiss him in that moment. He was so close- it would be so easy to just lean down, eliminate the distance between them…

_ Nope. No, can’t do that. _ Asahi shook his head slightly, pushing that ridiculous thought back into whatever foreign ditch that it’d crawled out of. If he did that, well… Nishinoya would surely never speak to him again. It wasn’t worth it at all.

He could feel himself blushing, and he laughed sheepishly, leaning away from Nishinoya. The other just leaned with him, though, so the movement proved futile. He could feel his blush darken. “Ah, you’re right,” Asahi managed to choke out, his voice slightly higher pitched than normal. “Sorry…”

Nishinoya simply stared at him for another moment, before releasing him. He made no move to back away, though, leaving Asahi to be the one to take a small step backwards. Nishinoya didn’t have much of a concept of personal space, it seemed.

“Mhm.” Nishinoya nodded, placing his hands on his hips. “Well, you should keep that longbow. It suits you.” He looked to the side, gaze falling on Hinata. The first-year had a longbow as well, but it was bigger than him, and he could only pull it back about a foot before releasing it. The string slapped over his nose, and he gave a startled yelp, dropping the bow in favor of throwing both hands over his nose. Beside him, Kageyama slapped the back of his head, calling him an idiot.

“Yeah, you’re good with that thing.” Nishinoya snorted, turning to Asahi. “You’re keeping it, right?”

Asahi straightened slightly, clearing his throat. “Oh, uh, if you think I should…” He trailed off awkwardly, looking back to the longbow that he still held in his hand. He didn’t think he was particularly good with it- he hadn’t even shot any arrows yet. He might be god-awful at it for all he knew.

Beside him, Nishinoya shook his head. “No, Asahi,” He began, turning to face the third-year head on. He poked him roughly in the center of the chest. “ _ You _ decide. Don’t do it because I think you should!” He exclaimed. His eyes were blazing with the same intense fire as ever. He spoke sharply, but Asahi knew that he wasn’t upset or anything. “Do  _ you _ want to keep it?”

Pausing, Asahi glanced back at the bow sheepishly. He considered it, still feeling Nishinoya’s intense gaze burning into his skull. “Well, I guess…” He mumbled. When he looked up, Nishinoya didn’t seem at all pleased with Asahi’s answer. With a start, the third-year stood up straighter, puffing out his chest slightly. “Y-yeah, I’ll keep it!” He announced quickly, before Nishinoya decided to berate him.

The fiery second-year eyed him for another few seconds, before breaking into a large grin. “There ‘ya go, Azumane!” He cheered, slapping a hand on Asahi’s shoulder. “Have some faith in yourself, bro! You’re like a big marshmallow!”

Staring at the other in shock, Asahi stuttered out, “M-marshmallow?” He questioned, very confused by Nishinoya’s odd way of describing him.

Nodding enthusiastically, Nishinoya didn’t bother taking his hand off Asahi’s shoulder. It was warm against his skin. “Yeah!” He replied, “You’re so soft. Like, y’know, marshmallows. It’s crazy.”

Nishinoya’s laugh was bright. The libero’s explanation was pretty vague, Asahi didn’t quite understand. But the second-year’s laugh was contagious, and Asahi couldn’t help but laugh along with him. 

Eventually, everyone had picked out their weapons of choice. Daichi, Suga, and Asahi had their respective bows. Yamaguchi had also picked out a bow- like Suga, he’d decided on a recurve bow. His was dark green, its handle black. 

Kageyama had stayed with his paper cutter blade. He fashioned an odd type of sword out of it, having wrapped one end with a strip of cloth. He’d then wrapped that cloth tightly with duct tape, creating a solid handle. Asahi had to admit, it was rather creative. Tsukishima muttered something about it being a rip-off of his machete, and the two of them began bickering about it.

Tanaka had taken both the nail gun and a large hammer. In fact, the hammer looked more like a mallet- it didn’t have the curved end that most hammers had to remove nails. Its handle was also rather long, making it perfect for swinging around and gaining momentum. 

Nishinoya, not having much luck with the bows, had decided on a baseball bat. He leaned on it like one would with a walking cane, and for some odd reason, Asahi had a sudden image of Nishinoya clad in a Karasuno baseball uniform, a helmet on his head, popping pink bubblegum as he leaned on the bat. Oddly enough, it seemed to suit him. Though, Asahi could not even begin to imagine where that weird image came from.

Now, dressed in a white tee shirt with a black ‘adidas’ logo on the front, black running shorts and ragged-looking white sneakers, he looked so  _ normal _ . Well, normal for Nishinoya at least. His hair wasn’t spiked up, giving him an almost childish look, with his wide eyes and innocent-looking resting face. He was chatting with Tanaka- for once, they didn’t seem to be freaking each other out. 

_ Oh no, he looks really cute. _

Asahi almost didn’t realize that he was staring at the libero. That is, until Nishinoya glanced over mid-sentence, still talking as he stared back at Asahi curiously. It was a few seconds before he registered that Nishinoya was looking at him  _ because _ he was staring.

Looking away quickly, Asahi darted over to Daichi as a heated blush burned at his face and neck. Him, Suga, Daichi, and Yamaguchi had decided earlier that they were going to go downstairs to practice shooting arrows. Everyone else was ready to go, and Asahi had been holding them up.

“Sorry, sorry!” He exclaimed sheepishly as he jogged over, his longbow in hand. Daichi waved dismissively, before turning to lead them out. 

They’d decided to go down to one of the auxiliary gyms. It was smaller than the main gym, and the floor was made up of wrestling mats. It was a bit dark, since the lights no longer worked, but there was enough sunlight streaming in from the high windows to see. 

They’d moved a few foam targets into the gym from the archery closet. Each of them had their own target- all of the targets were littered with small holes from previous arrows, but the red lines were still visible. 

They decided to start rather close to the targets- only about 3 yards away. They notched the arrows onto the string, pulled back, and at Daichi’s command, let the arrows fly.

Daichi’s arrow wobbled as it flew, but nevertheless connected with the foam. It imbedded just outside the outermost ring of the target, loosely flopping over slightly. Suga’s arrow had a slight wobble, but his aim was much better, and the arrow hit between the second and third ring. Yamaguchi’s arrow seemed to have fallen off the string at some point, because when he released it, it simply clattered to the floor while the first year stared down at it, looking both confused and disappointed.

Asahi’s arrow, however, was a solid bullseye. 

He wasn’t sure how, or why, but it’d sheathed itself deep within the foam on the center dot. He could only stare in shock, and based on the stunned silence, the other three archers were just as surprised as Asahi was.

Suga was the first to speak. “Asahi-san…” He began, voice low. “How did you…?”

“I don’t know.” Asahi choked out. He turned, looking to his teammates in dismay. “I just-” He gestured lamely, gaze falling desperately, before flicking back up to the others. “Lucky shot?”

Based on their expressions, they didn’t believe that at all. After a few seconds, Daichi cleared his throat. “Do it again.” He told Asahi. “From further back.”

A familiar wave of self-consciousness rushed over Asahi, but he obeyed the captain nevertheless. He took a few steps back, stopping at about 7 yards, before notching another arrow. He pulled it back far- the string came over his chest, the tip of the arrow coming to a stop perfectly at the handle. He stared down it for a second, taking aim, before releasing the string.

The arrow was near silent, save for the soft  _ fwip _ sound. It flew completely straight, piercing the foam. It went straight through, stopping only at the feathers. It wasn’t a dead bullseye like before, but it was within the first ring.

Asahi slowly lowered the longbow, staring in shock. The other three were silent for a few seconds, before Daichi grumbled. “Lucky shot?” He asked incredulously to no one in particular.

Suga looked amazed. “Asahi, do you do archery?” He asked, his eyes glittering with awe.

Hesitating, Asahi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, looking to the side. “Well, not really…” He trailed off. “I went to a summer camp in elementary school where we did some archery…”

Daichi snorted. Suga elbowed him lightly, before looking back to Asahi with a wide grin. “You’re a natural!” He exclaimed. 

Blushing, Asahi gave a small laugh. “I don’t know…”

The praise made him even more self conscious. He didn’t feel all that special- he didn’t know how he was doing this. He simply pulled back, pointed, and released. In fact, he barely aimed- he just let his arrow point where he assumed his target would be. He wasn’t sure how it was so accurate. Two lucky shots in a row seemed more likely than some kind of ‘natural talent’ or whatever.

However, as they continued practicing, it was evident that it  _ wasn’t _ a lucky shot. Asahi’s arrows continuously landed within the second ring- only one had gone outside that because Asahi’s hold on the longbow handle had slipped slightly.

Suga was pretty good as well- after some practice, he was shooting at 15 yards, landing continuous, solid hits on the target. Daichi’s aim wasn’t that great, but he certainly had the power behind his shots- when they did hit, they hit hard. The compound bow’s power was undeniable.

Yamaguchi was getting better, too. He’d had trouble at first, but after Asahi helped him a bit with steadying his hold and his release, he’d been getting hits. It was evident that he’d need more practice, but there was no doubt that he was improving quickly.

After about an hour and a half of shooting, they decided to go back and check up with the rest of the team. They took their bows with them, along with some arrows. As they walked, Yamaguchi paused in his tracks, looking around. He had a strange, alarmed look on his face.

The third-years paused, looking back at the smallest archer. “What is it?” Daichi asked, voicing Suga and Asahi’s questions.

Yamaguchi shifted on his feet slightly, before looking off down a hall. “Nothing…” He said softly, though he looked pensive. “I just thought I heard something.”

The third-years were silent for a moment. Daichi glanced at Suga, then at Asahi. He could see the troubled look in the captain’s eyes- Yamaguchi’s words were rather disturbing.

“Let’s wait a second. Maybe the sound will come again.” Daichi murmured. Nobody spoke- the silence was nearly overwhelming. It roared in Asahi’s ears louder than thunder, and his heart seemed ready to burst out of his chest, based on how hard it was pumping.

A few seconds passed before the sound came. A strange dragging sound, followed by a sickening series of pops, as though someone were cracking their knuckles. It was faint, and it came from the gloom of the adjacent hallway. It was too dark to see anything, but the sound was definitely coming from that direction.

There was no doubt in any of their minds. That was no living creature. 

There was a zombie here.

 

 


	2. Marcelo Maximus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter is a bit slow heheh, I promise it will get pretty intense in later chapters <3
> 
> ALSO -- i've made a tumblr for my fics !!! - http://venddaist.tumblr.com/  
> ill be posting chapter updates there, so if you're like me and you're bad at remembering to check up on updating fanfics, feel free to follow for text post updates !
> 
> ill also be taking requests !!

“ _Shit,_ ” Daichi hissed, not missing a second as he spun on his heel. “We’re going upstairs. We need to get to the rest of the team.”

There was no argument to this. The group of four turned, breaking into a run as they headed towards the stairwell. Asahi’s heart pumped frantically, the sudden fear and panic threatening to send him doubling over in nausea. Still, he forced his legs to move. He couldn’t face another zombie. Not again...

It didn’t seem like whatever ungodly beast they’d heard was chasing them. Still, they had no idea if there were more of them. After the initial wave had died down twelve days ago, the team had patrolled the halls, making sure there were no stragglers. Then, they’d barricaded every door and window they could find, effectively barring themselves within their fortress of sorts.

However, if one could break in, it meant that many more could as well.  

Or, it meant that they may have barricaded zombies _inside_ the school, without realizing it. 

Asahi wasn’t sure which one was worse.

It only took about two minutes of sprinting to return to the classroom. They didn’t run into any zombies, thankfully. When they burst into the room, the five of other members of the team were simply hanging out and chatting.

All eyes turned towards the archers’ booming entrance. The door clattered against the wall, and as soon as everyone was inside, Daichi slammed it shut, locking it. He propped a desk up against it for added security.

Meanwhile, the five who’d stayed in the classroom looked on in shock. Hinata looked like his heart had jumped out of his chest, while Kageyama stared at the group in surprise, his navy eyes wide in a sudden alertness. From where Tsukishima sat in the corner, listening to music over a battery-powered CD player, he cast an annoyed glare. Still, there was an underlying look of well-concealed alarm hidden behind the familiar irritation.

Tanaka and Nishinoya, who’d been sitting on the radiator beside Kageyama and Hinata, were on their feet immediately. “Hey,” Nishinoya spoke, his voice low and sharp. “What’s going on?”

Asahi looked at him, ready to give him an answer, but Daichi beat him to it. “There’s a zombie downstairs.” He said, voice low and dead-serious. A hushed silence settled over the group like a heavy blanket before Daichi continued. “Everyone is to stay right here until we decide what to do.” 

Tanaka took a step forward, coming to Nishinoya’s side. “What’s there to decide?” He demanded, eyes blazing. “We kill it, that’s what we do!”

Daichi cast him a glance. “Yes, we will. But we need to decide on a _strategy_.” He corrected. Before the hot-headed second-years could yell more, Daichi continued. “We don’t know how many there are. If there’s one, there could be a hundred. We need to be careful.”

_So, Daichi was thinking the same thing._ Asahi mused, glancing at the captain. By now, his heartbeat was slowing, and he could think clearer. Being in the classroom, surrounded by his team and knowing that everyone was safe somehow helped ease his nerves.

Nishinoya hefted up his baseball bat, throwing it over his shoulder. He puffed out his chest, eyes blazing with a familiar intensity. “Well, we won’t know until we find out!” He exclaimed. “Besides, we need to find out where it came from so that we can _stop_ more zombies from coming.”

Tanaka nodded furiously. Despite Nishinoya’s rather dangerous suggestion, he did have a point. They would definitely have to go out and kill that zombie, and then figure out where it came from. It may have been in the school this entire time, but it was also possible that it may have come in through an open window or something. The more time they wasted, the more zombies could find their way in.

With a sigh, Daichi nodded, although he looked a bit annoyed at the second-years’ yelling. “You’re right.” He grumbled. His gaze flicked up, surveying the room. It seemed that Nishinoya and Tanaka were more than willing to go out; their eyes blazed with an odd intensity, a kind in which Asahi couldn’t begin to understand.

“Alright, any volunteers?” Daichi asked, gaze surveying the group. Nishinoya and Tanaka’s hands immediately went up, of course. Nobody else seemed willing to, however. Hinata looked ready to cry, and Kageyama seemed reluctant to leave him. He sat close to the orange-haired dynamo, arm wrapped around his shoulder, murmuring soft words of comfort to him. Across the room, Tsukishima seemed disinterested, while a nervous-looking Yamaguchi fiddled with his hands, picking at nails that had already been worn down to the point of bleeding.

“I’ll go.”

He wasn’t sure why he opened his mouth when he did. It felt like someone else were speaking for him; Asahi wasn’t the heroic type, like Nishinoya and Tanaka. He was the kind of person who sat back quietly in the sidelines, cheering on the courageous ones. So why was he offering…?

The captain turned to him, staring in surprise. He could feel the others on his team look to him as well, not as surprised as Asahi would have thought. He didn’t have to look to know that Nishinoya’s wide, golden eyes were sparkling with glee.

Clearing his throat, Asahi tried his best to put on a brave face as he elaborated. “I-I mean, the rest of my team is going.” He stammered, face slowly flushing. _God, why did I do this..._ He forced the thought out of his head. There was no going back now. “I think I should go, too.”

From across the room, Nishinoya howled, “Yeah, Asahi!” It sounded distant, far away. Probably on account of the roaring of blood in Asahi’s ears, making everything sound muffled and far off. But it did serve to help boost Asahi’s confidence a little. Only a bit.

Daichi hesitated a moment, before nodding. “Right. I’ll be going, too.” He announced. He turned, fixing Suga with an intense look. The other third year straightened, eyes widening. “Suga, you’re in charge. Nobody is to leave this room unless he says so.” 

The fair-haired teen noded quickly. He saluted cheekily. “Aye, captain,” He beamed.

Daichi’s gaze scanned the room. None of the first-years objected, seemingly accepting the transfer of authority.

Asahi turned to Nishinoya and Tanaka, although they’d already darted over to the pile of football equipment and were tearing through it. Asahi approached slower, his heart racing in his chest. _Oh god, why did I volunteer… I’m going to lose it._

However, one look at Hinata and Yamaguchi was all the answer he needed. _That_ was why. It was for their sake. He was doing this to protect them. Suddenly, he felt an unfamiliar wave of confidence rush through him. A strange protectiveness overshadowed his nervousness- so what if he died? It meant that the younger teammates like Yamaguchi and Hinata didn’t have to. It made sense, really.

With his new confidence, he strutted over, picking up a larger pair of shoulder pads. He strapped them on, before slipping on some knee pads and other football protective gear. He allowed Nishinoya to reach over and smear the black paint across his cheeks with two slender fingers, before doing the same to his own cheeks. He insisted on painting on Daichi’s cheeks- as captain, he got _three_ dashes on each cheek. He looked like he could really be a football player, with the equipment and paint he wore. His muscular build added to the image as well.

Once they were outfitted with their protective gear, they picked up their weapons. They gave a quick goodbye, seeing as there wasn’t much time to waste. As they walked out, choruses of _Good luck!_ followed them. Once out in the hallway, they waited for Suga to confirm that the door had been blocked off before finally setting off towards where the zombie was.

Nishinoya and Tanaka were, thankfully, quiet. They seemed to be on high alert now. Rather than getting all excited and hyped up, they seemed to be incredibly focused. In control. Fearless.

Asahi envied them. Right about now, he wished he hadn’t eaten the breakfast that Nishinoya had shoved into his hands. It was threatening to make an unwelcome reappearance at a very inopportune time.

Subconsciously, he felt his grip tighten on the wooden handle of his longbow. It was oddly comforting. At least he had something besides his bare hands to fight the zombies with. He’d rather not fight at all, but seeing as he didn’t have much of a choice, he’d prefer to keep a large enough distance. Enough distance so that he wouldn’t have to feel their slimy, rancid blood on his skin.

Because no matter how much he scrubbed at his skin, no matter how raw it became, the feeling of it sticking to him never went away. It was burned into his nerves like a branding of his sin. 

Daichi lead the way down the stairs. They were silent, feet hardly making sound on the worn tile. Asahi and Daichi already had arrows notched onto their strings, holding them in ready positions. Tanaka had his nail gun in both hands, holding it as though he were some kind of undercover agent hunting down the mob boss in a cliché cop movie. Nishinoya’s hands held the handle of the bat low, his grip so tight that his knuckles were showing white.

_So even he is a bit nervous, after all,_ Asahi thought to himself worriedly. He began to notice the slight crease between the second-year’s brows, the way his lips were pressed together just slightly. It was so slight that one had to be looking closely to notice.

A sudden, quiet noise in the background caused the four to pause. From the other end of the hallway, a faint, distant dragging sound echoed. It was too dark to see what it was, although evidently it was a zombie. It wasn’t hard to figure that one out.

Fear lanced through Asahi’s body. His grip tightened on the handle of the bow, and he lifted, ready to shoot. The echoing continued, seeming to get closer slowly. There was no rush in its movements.

Still, something was different. It was hard to place, but… the patterns of noise it made were different from before. The one they’d heard earlier seemed to have been taking a heavy step before the dragging sound came. This one sounded as though each step were dragging.

“Daichi, this isn’t-” Asahi whispered, about to tell him that there were two zombies, when a sudden _thud_ sounded.

Asahi whirled around. Being the one closest the wall at that point, he found himself face to face with a zombie. It was behind the glass, stuck in a classroom with a closed door. It had its ungodly face pressed up against the glass, attempting to gnaw on it, eyes wide and unseeing. Its grimy, rotten fingers made small _thunk_ noises against the glass as it clawed at it desperately.

Asahi was thrown back into that moment, two weeks ago, when he’d first come face to face with a zombie. The vibrant golden color of its eyes, smothered by cataracts. The sickening state of decay of its skin, turning it an awful shade of creamy, greyish purple-green. The way it clawed at his arms, creating deep gouges that hadn’t quite healed yet. The fragility of its bones, as though made of rotten wood. The slickness of its blood and the chunks of its brains sticking to his skin as though he’d punched through a bag of cold oatmeal.

He could feel his legs shaking. His vision slowly began to turn white, and the ground swayed beneath him. He could hear vague voices, though they were far away. Asahi couldn’t resist the nausea that bubbled up from the pit of his stomach, and he doubled over, vomiting.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed. He found himself on his knees, wracked with horrible images of zombies attacking people, attacking Daichi and Suga two weeks ago. Zombies attacking him, clawing and gnawing and tearing him apart, all watching him with their wide, sightless golden eyes, diluted behind creamy yellow and green cataracts that flashed in the evening sun like two yellow moons. 

Then, out of nowhere, the zombie in front of him began to warp and distort. Suddenly, the school uniform became an orange volleyball uniform. The zombie’s hair became tussled, although at one point it’d obviously been pushed back. A bleached fringe fell over its forehead, stained with gore and decay. The golden eyes, however, remained.

“ _A-aas...Ah...Hi-i…”_ The zombie moaned, its cracked nails digging deep into his skin. Its voice was scratchy, barely human, although it held a note of familiarity to it. It was a voice Asahi knew all too well.

It was Nishinoya. The zombie in front of him was Nishinoya.

It moaned his name again. “ _A...sa...hi…”_ Its voice seemed to be gaining a more human tone. The images grew dark around the edges.

“ _A...sa..hi…!”_

The darkness spread. Soon, everything became dark, and Asahi couldn’t even see the zombie.

“ _Asahi…Asahi!_ ” 

“Asahi, damn it!”

 Suddenly, Nishinoya’s voice was loud and clear. It was smooth, lacking the zombie-like scratchiness, and very, very real.

He looked up blearily, eyes slowly refocusing to the dim lighting. Three forms surrounded him- Tanaka on his left, holding up his nail gun. He yelled to Nishinoya, who stood to his right. The libero’s eyes were wide, his lips pulled back into a slight snarl as he glared down at Asahi.

Suddenly, he turned to face the zombie that limped towards him. He waited for it to get close enough, and then with seemingly perfect timing, he took a powerful swing. A grunt escaped the libero as he threw all his weight into the swing, one foot coming off the dingy tiles slightly. The bat met its mark, plowing through the zombie’s outstretched arms, crushing its jaw with a thick cracking sound. It was flung back from the force of the swing, collapsing on the floor. It twitched slightly, attempting to move, but it seemed as though it were incapacitated.

In front of him, Daichi was taking aim at another zombie that was approaching. Once it was close, he released the string, letting the arrow fly. It pierced the corpse’s shoulder, nearly flying straight through; however, the zombie only stumbled. With a small curse, Daichi pulled another arrow out of his makeshift quiver.

However, the zombie took a sudden lurch forward. It moved faster than zombies should, seemingly breaking its own legs in the process, based on the abhorrent cracking and popping that accompanied its abrupt motion. It launched, grabbing Daichi before he could react. The captain gave a startled yelp, stumbling back, watching in horror as it sunk its teeth deep into his shoulder.

Asahi wasn’t sure what possessed him in that moment. Before he knew it, he had an arrow notched, arrow pulled back all the way. Without a second thought, it was released. It impaled itself deep into the softened skull between the zombie’s eyes. Its motions stilled, and it slowly slumped, teeth still lodged in Daichi’s shoulder.

It seemed that it had been the last of the zombies, besides the one that still clawed behind the glass. A chorus of “Daichi-san!” Erupted from the two second years, and they darted over. Nishinoya grimaced as he took hold of the zombie’s head, working its teeth out of Daichi’s shoulder. Tanaka hooked his arms beneath it, hoisting it up off of Daichi, before depositing it sloppily to the side. The two looked over their captain for a moment, eyes wide in terror, before Daichi spoke.

“Ah, it didn’t reach skin…” He smiled sheepishly, although he looked incredibly disturbed. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and his skin glistened with a thin layer of sweat. He absently rubbed the football shoulder pad, which had no doubt saved his life. He turned, mahogany gaze fixing on Asahi, who still knelt on the floor. “Thanks for that…” He said, voice laden with gratitude.

Asahi’s gaze snapped up to meet Daichi’s. He stared at the other, flushing slightly when Nishinoya and Tanaka both turned to stare at him in awe. “W-well… It’s what anyone would have done…” He mumbled sheepishly. 

“Asahi, that was awesome!” Nishinoya exclaimed suddenly, wiping his hands clean on his shorts as he approached. He leaned in close, possibly closer than he needed to. Not that Asahi particularly minded. “You just- _schlip_ \- got’em! Outta nowhere!” His hands moved in an odd gesture at the sound effect, and Asahi could only assume that it was supposed to be the arrow that he was mimicking.

“Dude… you’re a real life Katniss Everdeen.” Tanaka whispered, coming to Nishinoya’s side. His eyes were wide- even the notoriously hard-to-please Tanaka looked a bit impressed.

Nishinoya nodded enthusiastically. “Let’s braid his hair when we get back. He needs to look the part.” He suggested. He eyed Asahi’s hair in a way that made him a bit nervous.

“I-I don’t know about that…”

As the two continued talking about how Asahi would make such a great Katniss Everdeen-Clint Barton crossover love child, Daichi stepped forward, offering a hand to Asahi. He took it gratefully, pulling himself up. “Thanks…” He mumbled softly.

“Yeah, no problem. You okay?” Daichi asked, eyeing his friend carefully.

Swallowing thickly, Asahi nodded. “Y-yeah. Sorry. Just… got a little overwhelmed, I guess.” He mumbled in reply, glancing off to the side. He could feel Daichi’s gaze lingering, before Tanaka cleared his throat. Asahi hadn’t even realized that the two second-years weren’t arguing anymore.

“Hate to interrupt your moment,” He began, cocking an eyebrow. Nishinoya pushed Tanaka slightly, moving to his side. “But what are we going to do with… y’know. That.” He gestured at the zombie that still pawed at the glass.

Asahi started slightly. He’d forgotten that it was still there. He stared at it, effectively disturbed by the sight of it, before looking away.

“Hm…” Daichi hummed softly. His gaze flicked over the zombie. “It can’t get out, right?” Daichi asked slowly. He moved to try opening the door hesitantly. It seemed as though it were blocked by something on the other side.

After a moment of thought, Daichi simply shrugged, taking a step back and propping one fist lightly on his hip. “Well, it’s not a problem, then.” He said simply. “Technically, it’s outside. No point in going in there to kill it if it isn’t a threat.”

Asahi choked slightly. Meanwhile, Nishinoya turned around, poking the glass in front of the zombie’s face. “Aw. Let’s name it… Marcelo.” His tone of voice made it sound like he was naming a pet fish, not an undead, flesh-eating monster.

Tanaka was at the libero’s side instantly. “Marcelo!?” He exclaimed. “I dunno, Noya. He looks more like a ‘Maximus’ to me.”

 “That can be his last name.”

“God dammi- bro you did it again. Your genius is showing.”

“I know, Ryuu, I know. Bask in its glory before I put it back in its box.”

“I’m basking in it, bro. It feels so good. Don’t put it away yet.”

“Dude, sorry, but it’s gotta go. You know the deal. We went over this.”

“Right, shit, you’re right. I’m gonna miss it.”

“We all will. ...And it’s gone.”

As Tanaka and Nishinoya clapped their hands together, muttering some kind of prayer, Asahi and Daichi could only look on in sheer confusion. Daichi leaned in, slowly mumbling, “Do you… know what just happened?” He asked softly, gaze slowly shifting to meet Asahi’s.

After a moment, Asahi shook his head slowly. “No, I… I don’t.” He responded quietly.

Oddly enough, the underclassmen’s untranslatable exchange helped to ease Asahi’s nerves a bit. Their joking demeanor was a contagious comfort that Asahi was more than grateful for.

Still, the zombie, ‘Marcelo Maximus’, continued grabbing at the glass, its fingertips leaving nasty trails of an undisclosed slime-like substance. Its jaws worked on autopilot, opening and closing, teeth thunking against the glass. Nishinoya and Tanaka didn’t look at all disturbed, despite the fact that they were standing right in front of it. Asahi couldn’t even look at it directly.

Clearing his throat slightly, Asahi took a step towards them. “Um,” He began, his chocolatey gaze flicking between the pair of second-years. The two turned, fixing him with their intense stares. “Aren’t you even… a little grossed out by the zombie?”

The two stared at him, before Tanaka snorted. Nishinoya glanced at him, before turning to fix Asahi with that wide grin of his. “Nah.” He said simply. “Ryuu and I play a lot of zombie games. Honestly, the graphics in some of them are even scarier than the real thing.” 

Under his breath, Tanaka whispered, “Clickers from the Last of Us,” 

Gagging, Nishinoya mumbled back, “Those things give me nightmares.”

Asahi wasn’t sure what a ‘clicker’ was, but he assumed it was some kind of zombie. If they were even more horrific than Marcelo Maximus, he hoped he never saw one. With a sigh, he nodded slightly. “I guess that makes… sense.” He mumbled. In all honesty, though, he couldn’t see how the graphics in a game could compare to the real thing.

But then again, Nishinoya’s grip on the baseball bat earlier had been rather tight. Asahi remembered the small detail- the way his knuckles jutted against his skin, unusually pale. The tense look on his face. The way his eyes flicked just slightly faster than normal.

Maybe Nishinoya wasn’t as confident as he put on.

Then again, it was probably just Asahi overthinking things. He’d always had a bad habit of doing that. Suga, for example, was one of many who constantly chided him on his excessive consideration of things that most people wouldn’t cast a second glance at. Right now, Nishinoya looked fine- relaxed, even, as he joked with Tanaka. The uneasy glint in his eye that he’d seen earlier was gone, as though it were never there in the first place. Maybe Asahi’s nerves had made him imagine it. It was certainly plausible, at least.

“Let’s take another look around.” Daichi spoke up, stepping in to interrupt the second-years’ argument over who would be Peeta and who would be Gale. “I want to make sure we didn’t miss anything. We also need to figure out where those zombies came from.”

Presented with a task, Tanaka and Nishinoya straightened, looking like two hyper-focused dogs waiting for commands. “Yes, captain!” Nishinoya exclaimed, and simultaneously, both he and Tanaka threw their hands up in a salute.

“Their timing is as precise as ever…” Daichi muttered, eyes squinted slightly in a disinterested confusion. The two second-years turned, setting off down the hall where the first zombie had come from. Asahi had to stifle a small laugh. Despite the danger, being with his teammates lightened his heart a bit. 

He had to step over the bodies in order to follow. While he’d been panicking, it seemed as though another zombie had joined the commotion. In total, there were three bodies that lay sprawled, bloody and broken and festering with decay and maggots. That didn’t include Marcelo Maximus- that zombie was still in the classroom, gnawing on the glass. They’d probably go and kill it eventually. 

Vaguely, Asahi wondered if the zombie that Yamaguchi had heard earlier was among the bodies.

The soft thuds created by Marcelo Maximus pawing at the glass faded as they continued down the hall, until it was drowned out by the silence completely. Asahi hung back, walking with Daichi while Nishinoya and Tanaka went on ahead. Daichi was staring ahead, a pensive, unreadable look on his face. He didn’t seem to notice Asahi staring at him, too lost in his own thoughts.

Asahi turned away for a moment, gaze falling down to the ground. It was dusty, covered in a bro wnish layer of dirt mixed with clumped, dry blood. There were numerous patches of much darker, wider expanses of gore, signifying that someone, or something, had most likely perished there. 

It disturbed Asahi that he found himself slowly adjusting to the gore in this section of the school. While the halls that the team had been sticking to previously were spotted with blood splatters and debris, they hadn’t been as destroyed as this area. No, this was on a whole other level. It looked like the movie set of the kind of movies that Asahi could never sit through. 

He mused briefly, imagining that this was all just some big movie set. Him and the team were all actors, the kind that got so in-character that they literally  _ became _ the part. What if Asahi was simply too engulfed in his persona that he’d forgotten reality? What if he was so deep in his commitment to the part that he didn’t hear the director scream “ _ Cut! We’re retaking this scene!” _ ? 

His mouth moved before he could stop himself. In a soft whisper, he muttered, “Is this even real?” It was a question to nobody in particular, although if he had to choose, it would probably be towards whatever deities allowed this kind of armageddon to happen.

If it weren’t for Daichi glancing over at him, looking a bit surprised, he wouldn’t have even realized that he’d said it out loud. Looking up suddenly, Asahi made eye contact with Daichi, his face flushing slightly in embarrassment. “O-oh, I didn’t m-mean to, uh…” He stuttered, eyes widening slightly.. “Say that… out loud.”

This was embarrassing. God, why was he so awkward? Daichi was staring at him now, causing him to duck his head sheepishly. A few seconds passed before the other spoke.

“No, it’s okay.” He murmured, voice low enough so that the second-years wouldn’t be able to hear them from where they were up ahead. “I’m having a hard time believing it too. Three weeks ago, if someone told me that this was what the future looked like, I’d have thought they were out of their mind.” He smiled slightly, although it was filled with bitterness, like the kind of strained smiles that Daichi used to wear after they lost a match.

Asahi hummed softly in agreement, relaxing slightly. He turned forwards, watching the ground thoughtfully as they walked. They were silent for a moment, before Asahi finally spoke again. “How’s your shoulder?” He asked, glancing at the captain.

Rolling his shoulder experimentally, Daichi considered it for a moment, before shrugging. “It aches a bit.” He said simply. “But, like I said, it didn’t touch my skin. I’m okay with a sore shoulder if it means I didn’t get bitten.” 

Smiling slightly, Asahi nodded. “Y-yeah, you’re right.” He said softly. It was true. While being bitten was awful and terrifying, it could have been much,  _ much _ worse. If Daichi hadn’t been wearing that football gear, then…

He shook his head, ridding his consciousness of the thought. He couldn’t imagine it. He couldn’t imagine any of his teammates becoming zombies. He would protect them with his life if he had to.

Provided he didn’t end up collapsing in a panic attack.

A sudden wave of guilt seized his chest. Now that the initial danger had passed, and the adrenaline rush faded, he was left alone with his chronically intrusive thoughts. His teammates had to protect him. Nishinoya wouldn’t have to have been desperately calling his name to draw him out of his panic. Daichi wouldn’t have had to be standing where he was, protecting Asahi.. He’d put all three of them at a disadvantage, risking their lives.

“Daichi, I-” Asahi began, mouth going dry. He shut his eyes tight for a moment, before opening them again. “I’m sorry- I shouldn't've- I let you all down-” He couldn’t form a complete sentence. Damn these panic attacks. Figures that he’d start having a panic attack while he apologizes about his previous panic attack.

“Asahi.” Daichi cut him off. Asahi fell silent, gaze falling to the ground. He balled up his fists at his side, needing to relieve some of the tension that had built up in his muscles, but he listened closely to Daichi nevertheless. “You didn’t let us down.”

“B-but-”

“ _ You didn’t _ .” Daichi interrupted, casting him a sidelong glance. “It’s nothing you could have helped in the moment.” He was silent for a few seconds, before giving a heavy sigh. “But,” He began, lifting his head slightly, “I’m not saying that you shouldn’t work on improving yourself. Because, really, you  _ do _ need to find some way to stop the panicking.” 

Nodding, Asahi mumbled softly, “Yeah, I know.”

“Okay, good.” Daichi grumbled back. He was quiet for a few moments, before he turned, giving Asahi a small grin. “Though, I  _ am _ grateful that you came out of your panic attack in time to kill that zombie. Really, Asahi, that was badass.” He gave the former ace a small punch on the shoulder.

“Ow,” Asahi whispered, shifting the longbow in his hand to rub at the spot. Still, he smiled faintly, giving a small laugh. “You think so? I mean, it was right in front of me, it’d be pretty pathetic if I couldn’t shoot it…”

With a small snort, Daichi shook his head. “Still. Give yourself some credit, Azumane. If it weren’t for you, it might have killed me. I owe you one.”

Asahi felt a small grin creep back onto his face. “The captain owes me one? Careful, Daichi, you’re giving me too much power-”

A loud crash cut him off. Both third-years broke into a run immediately, instinctively heading towards the source of the clatter.. Nishinoya and Tanaka were nowhere to be found, and Asahi cursed himself for not realizing that they’d gone out of sight.

“Tanaka! Noya!” Daichi barked, voice deep and echoing with a certain power off the walls of the abandoned hallways. Their footsteps sounded like thunder through the silence, although the blood roaring through Asahi’s ears seemed to drown it all out.

Panic threatened to pull him down into its dark hold like shadowy hands grabbing and tugging at his limbs. He fought against them, of course- there’s no way he’d allow himself to be drawn into another panic when his teammates could be in danger.  _ Nishinoya’s in danger, Asahi, _ Those cursed voices at the back of his head whispered.  _ All because of you. You let your guard down. Noya may be the one to pay the price for it… _

As much as Asahi hated to admit, the voices did have a point. It didn’t help his fight against his looming panic.

However, Nishinoya’s voice cut through the quiet of the hallways, even managing to travel past the sound of his blood roaring in his ears. “It’s okay, Daichi-san! Tanaka just tripped over something!” His voice was a bit distant, sounding echoey in the abandoned hallways. Still, it sent a sense of relief over his consciousness, quieting the voices.

“Knocked it over accidentally!” Tanaka’s voice followed Nishinoya’s, closer this time because Daichi and Asahi were quickly closing the distance between them.

“Bro, you totally tripped.” Nishinoya’s voice was quieter now as he spoke directly to Tanaka from around the bend in the hallway. Daichi and Asahi were close enough to be able to catch it, though.

“It’s not my fault that desk chair was in my way.”

As they rounded the corner, they found Nishinoya and Tanaka facing eachother as they bickered over whether Tanaka tripped or the desk chair was possessed by a malicious spirit that has moved specifically in his way. Around them, the air was still and silent. It reeked of death in its overbearing stagnancy, and despite the second-years’ joking attitude, Asahi felt a feeling of unease come over him.  _ This place is unholy. _

“Can you two cut it out!?” Daichi hissed. The two second-years turned to him, staring, their argument forgotten. “You probably just attracted every zombie within the square mile with how much noise you made.”

Hesitating, Tanaka asked, “Well, don’t we want that?” He asked. At the silence, he continued quickly, “I mean. It saves us the trouble of finding  _ them _ . Our goal is to kill as many as we can, right?” His eyes gleamed slightly in a way that made Asahi nervous. It was as if he  _ wanted _ to mow down as many zombies as he could.

After a short moment of stare-down between captain and player, Daichi sighed. He gave a small, tired nod. “Yeah. But we don’t want to get  _ mobbed _ . You’ve seen those things move in packs. It’s better to find them alone than to have them sneak up on us.”

Tanaka leaned back, considering this. A tense silence followed for a moment, before a soft sound emanated from the darkened end of the hallway. Just the slightest scratching sound, barely audible through the thick air, but existent nevertheless.

All four turned, staring down into what seemed like the abyss. The faint scratching sound repeated, before a low, croaking groan followed distantly. 

“C’mon.” Daichi muttered, his gaze darkening slightly. He stepped forward to lead the way into the gloom, with Tanaka and Nishinoya following closely. Asahi remained in the back. 

He kept glancing back over his shoulder. Maybe it was his anxiety bothering him, but he had an odd, uncomfortable feeling of foreboding. The dim, dusty light of the main hall faded as they descended into the wing corridors. Though, in a strange way it felt as though these shadows were more welcoming than whatever lay undisturbed just a little further down the main hall.  

A sudden pressure in his bicep caused him to jump slightly, whipping around to face the culprit. Two wide golden eyes peered up at him through the gloom, framed by the pale, porcelain face. It looked almost ghostly in the poor light.

“You’re jumpy.” Nishinoya’s voice was quiet, although Asahi could detect the note of curiosity in his voice. He’d fallen back from Daichi and Tanaka’s side in favor of walking next to Asahi. He had the baseball bat propped up on his shoulder, held in place loosely by his right hand.

“I, uh,” Asahi muttered, looking away sheepishly. “Yeah, a little.” 

Nishinoya didn’t respond right away. His gaze flicked towards the main hall- he’d probably seen Asahi glancing back there. Perceptive as always.

After a moment, he turned back to face Asahi. “Is it because you’re scared?” He questioned. 

When Asahi turned to look Nishinoya in the eyes, he expected to see some sort of humor to them. As if he were making fun of Asahi for being afraid. However, this wasn’t the case. The deep golden irises held no hint of malice- instead, they were full of genuine curiosity.

Hesitating, Asahi pursed his lips, before looking away. “W-well, I’m not  _ not _ scared…” He trailed off weakly. 

“So you are, then?” Nishinoya pressed, not missing a beat.

“Y-yeah…”

“Good!” Nishinoya exclaimed, loud enough for Daichi to turn around and shush him. He ducked his head, mumbling a soft  _ sorry _ , before looking up again. When Asahi turned, giving him a puzzled look, Nishinoya continued.

“I’d be really worried if you weren’t. Also, you’d probably be lying to me. Because Asahi, no offence, you’re just a really nervous kinda guy.” Nishinoya elaborated. Asahi frowned slightly, but Nishinoya continued before he had the chance to object. “Besides, the fearless kinda people die first. So if you weren’t scared, you’d probably die first.”

“That’s… reassuring…” Asahi muttered, not quite sure how to take that. Sometimes it was hard to determine whether the things Nishinoya said were compliments or insults. After a moment, he turned, fixing the libero with a hesitantly curious look. “You’re not scared, are you?”

With a small snort, Nishinoya retorted, “Of course I’m scared!” He said, clamping his hand over his mouth when Daichi turned to fix him with another annoyed glare. He spoke softly this time, around his fingers. “These are  _ zombies _ . You know, the kind that could  _ actually kill us _ .”

“As opposed to the kind that can’t?”

“Irrelevant, Asahi! Don’t distract me! Anyways...We’re fighting for our lives, here. Daichi almost died.  _ Daichi _ . That says something.” Taking a deep breath, he lowered his voice to a murmur. “We’re all scared. You, me, Tanaka, Daichi, Suga-” He paused, wrinkling his nose slightly. “Even Tsukishima! That guy’s, like, a lizard person. Even lizard people get scared.”

Stifling a snort, Asahi returned, “Why do you think-”

“Stay on topic. My point is, you’re not the only one who’s scared. So don’t feel all guilty about it or anything. You just gotta plug your nose and swallow it down, like the really bad cough medicine.” Under his breath, Nishinoya muttered, “Whatever the bottle says, it does  _ not _ taste like cherry.”

Asahi fell silent for a moment. Then, after a moment, he smiled faintly. “T-thanks, Noya.” He said softly. He could basically feel the warmth of the radiance of Nishinoya’s grin, despite not being able to see it in the dark, and he was grateful to the shadows for concealing the flush that took over his face. He really did appreciate Nishinoya’s efforts, even if his anxiety still remained. 

Up ahead, Daichi raised his hand, indicating that they should stop. They did, and the groaning sounded much louder than before- it was close, within 10 feet at least. It seemed almost… excited, in a way, as if it were pleasantly surprised. The scratching became much more fervent and desperate, and Asahi was glad that he couldn’t see it just yet.

The area was just barely visible from the dim light. Vague changes in color indicated where the walls were, along with the debris that clogged the hallway. Desks were strewn, as though sloppily thrown out of a classroom, and there were papers scattered everywhere. Darkish splotches indicated gore, and Asahi had to force himself to look away from the unholy chunks of  _ something _ that lay torn within said splotches.

Daichi took a few steps forward, carefully stepping over the upturned legs of desks. The scratching was loud, overwhelming, tearing through the silence obliviously. Once Daichi rounded a pile of desks, he grimaced.

It seemed that he’d found the zombie. It screamed and clawed, its motions creating sickening squelching noises as though it were clawing through its own gore. Daichi notched the arrow onto the string, pulled back, and released. There was a heavy  _ thck _ sound, and the screaming and clawing ceased.

Tanaka walked around the desks to peer at the corpse. He wrinkled his nose slightly. “Ugh.” He turned away, his gaze falling on Nishinoya and Asahi. “C’mere, check it out.”

Nishinoya scoffed. “Nah, I’m good. I’ve had enough of zombies for today.” He replied simply.

“Sorry, Tanaka, I’m with Noya. I’d rather not.” Asahi cringed slightly. No, he’d rather keep his viewing of decayed bodies to a minimum. He didn’t need another gruesome image burned into his memory.

Tanaka huffed. “You both suck.” He grumbled. He looked back down at the corpse, poking at it with the toe of his shoe. He stopped when Daichi told him to stop disrespecting the dead.

After they made sure that there were no more zombies here, they left. It seemed that it’d only been that one- which was odd, considering the mess that was made of the hall. A much bigger fight had to have occurred here. Either all the zombies that had been here had left, or… They just hadn’t found them.

He wasn’t keen to think about the latter.

As they walked, Asahi found that he was glad to leave the area. It had a solemn, depressing feel to it- not to say the rest of the school didn’t- but it was different. It just  _ felt _ like something terrible had happened. Those desks didn’t just end up there, after all. They were put there by someone. In the gloom, it was difficult to tell whether the carnage coating the floors and the walls belonged to humans or zombies. 

Nevertheless, the vibe of the area depressed him. Whether it was human or zombie didn’t matter- all the blood and guts had belonged to a human once. 

A living, breathing person- someone Asahi may have known. Someone Asahi may have met in the future. 

Someone who may have knew of him, someone who may have been friends with his friends. 

Someone with a family, maybe some pets, with a whole story behind them. 

The undisturbed silence seemed out of place, as though the gods were quietly ignoring the tragedy that had occurred there.

Or maybe Asahi was just overthinking it. He always was the sentimental type, after all.

They walked, unusually quiet, back towards the main hall. They left the grim scene behind, not to be spoken of again. It was likely to remain undiscovered, untouched, for a long time.

The hall grew lighter and lighter as they got closer to the main hall. The wide windows offered a strange, glowing type of light, giving the tiles and plaster walls a sort of ethereal quality. At least, that’s the way it looked from the darkness of the wing corridor they walked through currently. In fact, it was oddly reminiscent to what Asahi imagined that the gates of heaven might look like.

Still, the square opening into the main hall didn’t strike him as being all that divine. In fact, the closer they got, the more uneasy Asahi became. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was there. That something was further down that hallway, lying just past where they’d turned down this corridor. 

They didn’t go down that way, though. Daichi led them back the way they came. This area was rather far from the classroom- it didn’t seem all that necessary to investigate, it seemed. Asahi didn’t protest. He wasn’t keen on finding out if his paranoia had been a result of his nerves or if they were warranted. 

Whatever it was, it was down the long, dimly lit hallway. With one final, nervous glance, Asahi let the feeling fade back into whatever region of his head that it’d come from. The further they got, the less overwhelming the feeling was, and he was grateful that it’d weakened in its intensity. The thudding of his heart was so strong, Asahi worried that it would break his rib cage. 

They headed back to the classroom. The halls seemed quiet, although not dubiously so, like the far eastern end of the school had been. A few birds chirped outside the stained windows, and some bugs buzzed past on occasion. 

By the time they arrived back at the classroom, it was about 4 in the afternoon. They’d spent a little over a half hour searching the school, and they felt the need to check up on the others. With all the zombies springing up seemingly out of nowhere, they couldn’t be too careful.

Suga and Kageyama were the ones to move the desks out of the way in order to open the door for the returning upperclassmen. Suga looked immensely relieved, his gaze flicking between all of his teammates, although he was at Daichi’s side almost immediately. Daichi looked equally as happy to see Suga- the edge that’d been present in his demeanor had softened, and he seemed much more at ease.

Of course, the five who’d stayed were dying to know what had happened. Tsukishima, although reserved in his curiosity, was casting glances at them, despite the headphones in his ears. Yamaguchi stood beside him, eyes wide, waiting patiently.

Kageyama and Hinata, on the other hand, were basically vibrating with their poorly-contained curiosity. Poor Hinata looked like he was about to explode, even. God bless his soul.

Still, the four walked past them all, keen to get the football gear off. Despite their necessity, the stuff was a bit stifling. Asahi himself could feel the sweat making his skin sticky and uncomfortable, and considering that their access to showers was rather limited now that the power was out, he wanted to try to stay as clean as he could. Asahi didn’t hate a lot of things, but he’d always kept up well with his hygeine, and the idea of staying all gross and sweaty made him cringe.

As Asahi lifted the shoulder pads off, he felt a prickle at the back of his neck. With a frown, Asahi turned, locking eyes with Nishinoya. The other seemed to be in the middle of taking off his knee pads, having already taken off most other things, but his eyes were fixed on Asahi. He seemed to have spaced out slightly, but as soon as they locked eyes, he seemed to come back to Earth.

He blinked, and Asahi could see a look of embarrassment flash over Nishinoya’s face for a second. It was so fleeting that Asahi wondered if he’d imagined it. The second-year grinned suddenly, hobbling over as he attempted to simultaneously remove his knee pads and walk.

“You’ve got somethin’ on your face, Asahi-san,” Nishinoya chirped. He licked his fingertips, and before Asahi could react, he swiped his fingers across his cheek. His fingers were cool against his skin, and to Asahi’s germaphobic dismay, slick with saliva. 

“Got it!” The second year beamed, letting his hand drop to wipe on his shorts. Asahi cringed slightly, lifting his own hand to rub at the cool spot on his face created by Nishinoya’s spit.

“N-Noya, did you have to lick your hand…” He muttered. “Gross…”

Nishinoya’s boisterous laugh sounded, and Asahi couldn’t help but turn away slightly so that the other wouldn’t see his light blush. “Absolutely! Everything I do has reasoning behind it, Asahi-san!”

Tanaka walked up behind Nishinoya, flicking him on the back of the head. The libero yelped softly, before turning to glare sharply at his best friend. “That’s a lie, Noya. We all know you do basically  _ everything _ based off impulse.”

“Impulse is a perfectly good reason to do things.”

“It’s a reason, maybe, but it’s not a  _ good _ reason.”

Asahi smiled slightly at their typical banter. Still, he felt a small pain prick at his heart. He wished he could draw Nishinoya’s attention as easily as Tanaka could. He wished he could talk to Nishinoya without getting all flustered and overwhelmed like Tanaka. Even better, he wished he wasn’t envious of Tanaka, because it certainly wasn’t fair to him. 

Behind him, he heard Suga gasp. “Daichi!” The third year exclaimed. There was some rustling, and as Asahi turned around, he saw Suga picking up Daichi’s shoulder pads. His caramel gaze was focused on the bite marks that deeply scored the plastic. “What’s this!?”

Daichi paled slightly, and Asahi may have laughed if it were some other time. A time in which they  _ weren’t _ in actual danger of dying and/or becoming reanimated flesh-eating corpses.

“Well, we, uh…” He stammered. Only Suga could get him to be flustered like this- anyone else, and he would have been able to maintain his dignified composure. “We knew what we were going to find. You did too, you were there when we heard the zombie.”

Suga’s eyes were ablaze. “And you let it  _ bite _ you!?” He exclaimed, pointing to the gouges in the plastic.

“I didn’t  _ let _ it bite me, it kinda decided that it wanted to and I couldn’t really avoid it.”

“Daichi!”

Finally, Asahi gave a small laugh. He turned away, only to come face to face with Hinata and Kageyama, their eyes wide and silently demanding to  _ know _ . It would be a lie to say Asahi wasn’t a little intimidated.

He looked around frantically. Daichi was preoccupied with fending off an angry, protective Suga. Nishinoya and Tanaka were still arguing, although somehow the topic had gone from Nishinoya’s impulsiveness to whether the word ‘either’ was pronounced ‘ai-ther’ or ‘ee-ther’. 

He was the only one out of the four who was available to talk about what he’d seen.

Swallowing thickly, he allowed himself to be roped in by the first-years and drawn to a suspiciously secluded corner where they would not be interrupted. He cast one last, pleading look to Daichi, who only gave him a small, apologetic half-smile, before diverting all his attention back to Suga, who apparently wasn’t done with chewing Daichi out about how he needed to be more careful. 

It wasn’t long before he found himself explaining exactly what had happened. Hinata and Kageyama seemed keen on the idea of there having been some kind of intense ‘battle’ of sorts- nearly a hundred zombies rushing in, overwhelming them, but somehow they were able to overcome the odds and destroy them all. Asahi almost felt bad for telling the truth when he said that they’d only run into a grand total of five zombies, and they hadn’t even killed them all. Marcelo Maximus was still ‘alive’, after all.

By the time everyone had settled down, it was almost five o’clock. They nibbled on some of the remaining frozen stuff they’d gathered- mostly an assortment of vegetables and some pre-cooked meats, deciding that they’d attempt going outside tomorrow. 

While that meant that they wouldn’t be going outside today, it didn’t help Asahi to relax. In fact, it made him even more nervous. Even as Suga, Hinata, and Kageyama returned from their routine once-over of the closer halls before the sun set, reporting that everything was quiet, Asahi’s nerves refused to give him peace.

It wasn’t until everyone else had fallen asleep that he finally managed to drift off into a troubled, fitful slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a side note- as many high schoolers do, I have a ton of finals to study for as well as the last few days of school to deal with, so chapters may take a while and/or be a bit short !! Once school ends though, i should def be writing more <3
> 
> thanks for reading !!!  
> -Clash


	3. The Magician and the Hanged Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than expected !! I only have two more finals, so hopefully updates will start to get more frequent <3  
> I hope this chapter was worth the wait !
> 
> Also, to anyone who may be interested, I doodled a lil sketch of Asahi imagining Noya as a baseball player :3c see it here !! - http://venddaist.tumblr.com/post/145792312724/a-doodle-of-asahi-thinkin-abt-how-cute-noya-would  
> [make sure you click 'view' at the top, because the tiny version doesnt look so great heheh]
> 
> as always, thank you for reading !!

 

_ Ten. _

_ Twenty. _

_ One hundred.  _

_ One thousand. _

The numbers seemed infinite, extending far past Asahi’s line of vision and comprehension. A never-ending expanse of bodies, swaying in a erratic, unsteady delirium. They advanced like a flood, a morbid ocean that drew inevitably closer with each thoughtless footstep.

_ One hundred. _

_ Seventy five. _

_ Fifty three. _

_ Forty one. _

Forty one meters between him and them. Forty one meters dividing him from the undead beasts which sought to tear him apart. He ran, ran faster than he ever did, despite the agonized protest of his muscles and lungs. Still, no matter how fast he ran, the ground beneath him continued to move backwards…

_ Thirty two. _

_ Twenty seven. _

_ Twenty. _

_ Thirteen. _

They were so close, he could smell their decay, hear their bones popping. They weren’t moving fast- in fact, they were moving without haste, as though they did not even notice he was there. They all seemed to be aimlessly wandering in one direction, and Asahi was just in their way.

_ Ten. _

_ Seven. _

_ Six. _

_ Five. _

They didn’t see him. Asahi was still running, his breath coming in fast, fear-fueled pants. He hadn’t realized that he was sobbing, the tears painting his cheeks while his panicked cries fell over a deaf audience of the undead. 

Still, he was only moving backwards.

_ Four. _

_ Three. _

_ Two.  _

_ One. _

His foot caught on something. He landed hard, hands flashing out in front of him last second to help break the fall. The side of his face hit the ground, and he felt a horrible burning sensation along his left cheek and brow. No doubt, it was scraped along the dirt.

Still, this was the least of Asahi’s worries. He quickly pushed himself up, breathing hard, before looking up. He was just about ready to spring to his feet and run, but he froze.

Somehow, in the second that he’d fallen, he’d ended up at the center of the horde. The undead swayed, staggering, moving around him. They shuffled past him, completely disregarding him a though he were only a rock in their path. Asahi could only stare in shock, unable to fight the panic that overwhelmed him. Why hadn’t he blacked out yet?

He scrambled into a sitting position, eyes wide. He realized that he was on school grounds, within the fence’s boundaries but outside of the building. As he surveyed his surroundings, he realized something odd. The sky was incredibly...unsettling.

The sky was pure, blood red. It was not the color of the blood that filled the veins and stomachs of the zombies- no, this was bright. It was the rich color of the blood that spilled from a fresh, deep wound.

Hovering just above the school building was a black sun. It held no shine or luster- it simply hovered there, as though it were eclipsing a real sun, against the red sky. Everything in front of Asahi was silhouetted black as though it did shine, however. The building, the trees, the zombies- even the distant power lines and stop lights off in the streets to the left and right of the school were a pitch black against pure red.

Yes, the only word to accurately describe such a sight was  _ unsettling _ .

A few moments of this passed, and Asahi still wasn’t able to get to his feet. Then, through the sound of bones cracking and flesh splitting and zombies groaning, he heard something. A distinct sound of someone, or some _ thing _ , stopping short.

Asahi turned, twisting from his spot on the ground to stare wide-eyed at the source of the sound. Directly behind him stood a smaller zombie, no older than an elementary schooler, shoulders jerking slightly as zombies bumped into it. Its eyes were half lidded, unseeing. Its hair was tussled, matted with blood, although there was a hint of dull, muted orange hidden beneath it. A wound near its shoulder stained a soft, pastel-colored shirt black.

It stared at Asahi, and Asahi stared back. Neither moved for at least a minute. Then, it slowly took a step forwards, stepping back into line with the rest of the zombies.

Asahi watched as the small zombie staggered away, disappearing from sight behind other bodies.

The world suddenly faded away. It were as though some divine being had flipped the switch that cut out the sun, enveloping Asahi in a vast darkness that seemed excessively deep. Silence followed, as though the zombies had all disappeared, along with any other source of life. Not even the wind dared to whisper.

Asahi slowly exhaled, needing something to fill in the silence that rang through his ears. It seemed pierce through his brain like a lobotomy needle through one ear and out the other. Since when could silence be so deafening…?

He could see nothing, hear nothing- he was essentially senseless. Even the burning scrapes on his face and arms had faded, leaving a sense of emptiness.

Asahi slowly stood, legs wobbly on an uncertain ground. One step forward. Another step. A third. Was he going anywhere? Was he walking forwards, or backwards? Was he going towards something? Is there even anything to go to?

Knowing answers to none of those questions, Asahi walked. He walked for what seemed like hours, days, weeks- but, in retrospect, must have only been a few seconds. Then, the world split open, dropping him into blinding light.

He threw an arm over his face, groaning as his eyes refused to adjust to the sudden brightness. It took a moment, but when he was finally able to remove his arm from its place over his eyes, he looked up.

It was an abandoned shrine. It was old, the wood decaying. It was rather small- no bigger than a shed, really- but had concrete steps, littered with rotting leaves, leading up to double doors. It must have been painted red once, but now, the paint was chipped and worn away in most places. It looked as though it may collapse at any moment. Still, two small foo-dog statues stood guard at the base of the staircase, their challenging eyes demanding someone to even try to harm this place.

He stood on the gravel path that lead to it, a few feet in front of the foo dog statues. Based on the bend of the ground beneath his feet, he assumed that the shrine was atop a hill, and that there were probably steps leading up through the forest to get to it. 

Asahi could only stare at it. He couldn’t look away. It were as if his eyes were forcefully locked on it against his will. Dark clouds loomed behind it, along with a rumble of thunder. A warm, heavy breeze rustled the tree branches, turning the leaves upside down.

Something about this place struck Asahi as being powerful. It had an air of ancient prowess, as though the deity who resided here still remained, despite the obvious deterioration of the shrine. 

Once again, time didn’t seem to exist. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, staring at the abandoned shrine. However, a sudden hand on his shoulder brought him back into some semblance of reality.

With a startled cry, Asahi whirled around. His eyes widened as they locked onto the milky irises of a zombie, its jaw unhinged and hanging loosely, hair stringy and matted. It reached for him, its putrefied hands clawing for contact with flesh.

Stumbling back, Asahi tried to escape. However, the beast only advanced, backing Asahi away from the shrine. The zombie gurgled, shrunken lips tugging against rancid, blackened gums. It reached, stretching its arms, nails seeking to gouge into his skin.

Asahi’s heel connected with a rock bordering the trail leading towards the shrine. He plunged backwards, landing hard against concrete steps. The zombie continued, nearly lunging on him, ready to tear his throat out, but a sudden flash blocked Asahi’s view of it.

There, in front of him, stood Nishinoya. His back was facing Asahi, his hands planted on the zombie’s shoulders as he pushed it back. 

“ _ Noya! _ ” Asahi howled, struggling to his feet. The libero didn’t respond, as if he didn’t even notice Asahi. He wrestled with the zombie, struggling to fight it back. Still, the zombie was just slightly bigger than Nishinoya, and it grabbed him, leaning in to chomp down on his shoulder…

“ _ Asahi-san…!” _ Nishinoya snarled, turning to fix Asahi with his intense stare. His golden eyes were furious, as though demanding him,  _ Get up off your ass! Don’t you dare give up on me! _ However, his moment of distraction proved to be a fatal mistake.

Just as the zombie’s jaws fell the pale skin of Nishinoya’s neck, the image shattered. It broke into thousands of pieces, scattering into oblivion and leaving Asahi suspended in total blackness.

.

..

…

He began to feel once more. When he lost the ability, he didn’t know. Now, since it’d been gone before, it came back with full force.

Sound came first, breaking the complete silence. It resonated as a high-pitched ringing, the kind that one would hear right after shooting a gun. It was almost overwhelming, although Asahi already knew that it was all in his head.

His skin was clammy, drenched in a cold sweat, and he could feel his muscles trembling beneath his skin. His heart beat at an unsteady, rapid pace, as though he’d just been running for hours. His breaths came in labored pants.

It was too dark to see anything, so it took him a moment to regain his bearings. He was lying on his back, so he must be staring up at the ceiling. That, at least, helped him to distinguish up from down. 

“Asahi-san?”

Nishinoya’s voice cut through the silence. Asahi flinched slightly, eyes widening. He realized that he must have woken Nishinoya up during the course of his nightmare. Guilt pulled at his insides like a dog tugging on its leash.

“Are you okay?”

“A-ah, Nishinoya-san,” Asahi responded, possibly too quickly. He cringed inwardly at how scratchy his voice sounded. “S-sorry for waking you. I’m fine. Go back to sleep.” 

If it were anyone else, Asahi assumed that they would have listened and just dozed off again. However, Nishinoya had always been incredibly stubborn. 

Also, once the guy was awake, he was  _ awake _ .

“Don’t give me that crap, Asahi.” Nishinoya retorted, his voice sharp. In the dim moonlight that poured in from the window, Asahi was just barely able to see fiery golden eyes staring down at him. “You were twisting and turning like you were covered in fire ants or something. Also, you were talking in your sleep. So don’t lie and tell me it’s nothing when it most definitely is  _ something _ .”

Damn Nishinoya and his ability to wake up at the smallest sounds. 

Asahi hesitated a moment, not at all keen to tell Nishinoya about his nightmare. After all, it was _weird_. The memories of it were fading, but he could still remember the thousand-strong army of zombies, the abandoned shrine, and Nishinoya jumping in front of him. It would _definitely_ be weird to tell Nishinoya about that last part, at least.

“Ah, no, it’s okay, really. I think I’m fine now.” Asahi spoke softly. That wasn’t a complete lie- his heartbeat was slowing down to a steadier pace, and his mind was clearing. Still, though, the unsettling feeling that typically resided after nightmares hadn’t faded. Asahi knew, from experience, that it probably wouldn’t until at least tomorrow morning.

Nishinoya didn’t seem content with Asahi’s answers. He felt as though he were shrinking under the libero’s intense gaze. Honestly, how could anyone look that fierce in the dead of night?

After a moment, though, Nishinoya decided not to press. He slowly settled down, although he seemed to keep his upper body propped up by his elbows. “If you say so.” He mumbled, obviously not very satisfied with Asahi’s answers. “Do you get nightmares often?”

“I didn’t say I had a nightmare…” Asahi attempted, but he fell silent, knowing that his protests were futile. Asahi didn’t have to say it. It was blatantly obvious that he’d had a nightmare. “But, uh, I guess. I get them occasionally?” 

He could feel Nishinoya’s eyes on him through the darkness. “Is it because of the world ending and all?”

Shaking his head, Asahi replied, “Yes, but no? Now I get them because of the zombies, but it’s not like I didn’t get them before. If that makes sense.” Asahi trailed off. Embarrassment creeped up in the form of heat over his cheeks, and he was grateful for the darkness that concealed it. 

Nishinoya nodded. “My little brother used to get them a lot.” He said softly. Asahi perked up slightly- Nishinoya didn’t talk about his family much. He didn’t even know that the libero  _ had _ a little brother. “I used to help him afterwards. We’d talk about it, and he’d feel better.” He paused, fixing Asahi with a pointed look. “Which is why I think  _ you _ should talk about it. It doesn’t help to keep those things bottled up, Asahi-san.” He said sharply.

Flushing slightly, Asahi looked away, unable to hold Nishinoya’s fierce stare. “Ah, you’re probably right.” He mumbled. He stared at the blanket that he was knotting in his fingers sheepishly. “I’m not really sure what to say, though…”

Nishinoya shrugged. “Tell me what happened. There’s not much to it, really.” He said simply.

Asahi hesitated. He’d never really talked to someone about his nightmares. Usually, he woke up from them, sweaty and panicked, and then stayed awake until morning came. He kept it to himself, simply going about his day as best as he could. Eventually, the exhausting feeling of panic would settle down to a bearable level. Kind of like a shark looming just beneath the pristine surface of an ocean. Asahi knew it was there, but he was able to disregard it momentarily.

That same shark seemed to only get bigger and bigger with time, until it would reach a point where Asahi could no longer ignore it.

“Well,” Asahi began slowly, voice cracking slightly. He decided that he  _ could _ give it a try. He didn’t intend on being very detailed in his description, though. “I was...outside the school, I think. It was sunset, and I was surrounded by zombies, but they weren’t even looking at me. It was like I wasn’t even there.”

Beside him, Nishinoya nodded slightly. “Go on…” He urged softly, voice uncharacteristically quiet and soothing.

“Um,” Asahi managed out, brain short-circuiting. He’d lost his train of thought for a moment, before he continued hesitantly, “I think… one zombie stopped and looked at me. It didn’t attack me, though.” He mumbled. The memories were slowly coming back as he voiced them. “It just stared at me for- I guess- a minute or so. Then it just kept going.” He fell quiet for a moment, before whispering, “It was so small, Noya, it was like a toddler…”

“Asahi…” Nishinoya said softly. 

Shaking his head, Asahi continued. Now that he’d started, he didn’t want to stop talking. He hadn’t realized how addicting it was to share his experiences. 

“Then, I ended up in front of an abandoned shrine. It was like, I blinked, and then I was there. It was in the middle of the woods and it was- it was really cloudy. It looked like it was going to rain.” He spoke quickly now, feeling the hysteria rise up in his chest. His heartbeat picked up and panic began to set in. Somewhere, deep in his conscience, a voice told him to stop talking, to stop being annoying. For once, that voice was being droned out.

“Something about the place wasn’t right. It was weird, it felt- it felt supernatural-” His voice cracked slightly.

There was a shuffling beside him, and Asahi spoke again. “A zombie came out of nowhere, and it was chasing me. Then, I tripped, and it was about to kill me and then-”

Sudden hands found their way over Asahi’s shoulders, sliding onto his back. They were gentle, incredibly careful, as though afraid that Asahi was going to shatter into a million tiny fragments at any second. They were warm, and despite the sudden flutter of his heart, he felt himself relax slightly. 

Nishinoya’s chin fell over the top of Asahi’s head. “It’s okay, Asahi-san,” He murmured. “Don’t forget, I’m your guardian deity.” He paused, before adding, “I’ll protect you. So don’t worry, okay?”

Something about the way he said it made Asahi’s train of thought come to a screeching halt.  _ I’ll protect you. _ Those three words went chills buzzing down his spine. Not only that, but the fact that Nishinoya  _ had _ protected him, in his dream, made the words all the more meaningful. It was if his dream had been a sort of vision into the future, in which it’d predicted that Nishinoya would say something like that. He’d heard somewhere that some dreams could do things like that.

He figured that Nishinoya was acting like this because it helped his little brother when he had problems with nightmares. Not for any other reason, really, other than the belief that it would help Asahi, too. It did help, although Asahi made sure to remind himself that Nishinoya meant nothing more by his surprisingly soft and comforting actions.

“Besides, I don’t think that many zombies even  _ exist _ .” Nishinoya chuckled softly, interrupting his thoughts. His voice had taken on a joking tone that was much more familiar to Asahi. “So, no need to worry about being caught up in some freaky zombie parade, okay?”

Despite Asahi’s bewilderment, he echoed hoarsely, “Freaky… zombie parade…?”

“Yep. The freakiest zombie parade.” He nodded slightly against Asahi’s head. “And the shrine? That’s freaky as hell, too. Besides, only one zombie? I bet that if you had your longbow with you, you would have taken that thing out no problem.”

Smiling faintly, Asahi managed a quiet, “I don’t know about that…”

Nishinoya’s thumb rubbed comforting circles into the space between Asahi’s shoulder blades. “I do. You’re crazy good with that thing. Green Arrow himself would be jealous.”

Asahi, being as knowledgeable as he was in fictitious media, echoed lamely, “Green Arrow?”

“You don’t know who Green Arrow is!?” Nishinoya exclaimed, sounding genuinely surprised. On Nishinoya’s other side, Tanaka shifted slightly, grumbling something unintelligible. At this, Nishinoya lowered the volume of his voice. “Well, once this stupid apocalypse is over, I’ll have to introduce you to the magical world of DC. And Marvel, too, because I’d assume you don’t know much about that universe, either.”

After the apocalypse was over. Would that time even come? Was this nightmare going to end? Asahi felt rather uncertain about the answer to that. Even if it did end, nothing would be the same. The amount of death that had occurred here was enough to push the world to a point of no return.

Still, he smiled, knowing that Nishinoya had only said that to distract Asahi from his nightmare. “Y-yeah, that’d be nice.” He responded softly. 

Nishinoya hummed softly. “It would be.” He paused, simply rubbing Asahi’s back gently with his thumb. After a moment, he leaned back slightly, staring at Asahi with those golden eyes of his. “So, Asahi, feelin’ any better?”

Hesitating, Asahi thought for a moment. After his outburst, he did feel a bit more at ease. The nausea that had writhed in his stomach like worms had settled. The shark beneath the dark surface seemed a bit smaller in size. It was still there, of course, but it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming.

“Yes, actually… Thank you, Nishinoya.” Asahi mumbled, heart warming slightly. He hadn’t told Nishinoya about the fact that he was in his dream- the other had cut him off, after all. He was kind of glad that he had, because Asahi might have blurted something that he would regret.

“No problem!” Nishinoya beamed. He leaned back, his arms leaving from their place around Asahi’s shoulders. He felt a little colder at the loss, but of course, didn’t comment.

The libero returned to his earlier position, propping himself up by his elbows. He tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling. Asahi sat up slightly, mimicking Nishinoya’s position. He stared for a moment, transfixed on how the chilly moonlight gave Nishinoya’s skin an ethereal glow, giving him the appearance of a ghost.

He wanted to commit this image to memory. Something about it made Nishinoya seem supernatural, unreal. Something superhuman. Asahi had always known that Nishinoya was unique-his incredible skill as a libero was only one of many qualities that could attest to that-but this moment only amplified his supernal image.

After a moment, Nishinoya turned, locking eyes with Asahi once more. The image shattered, although it remained immortal in Asahi’s memory. “So, Asahi-san,” Nishinoya began. “Tell me about your family.”

It was a bit of an odd question, but Asahi was grateful. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep again, and it was nice to talk to someone to avoid being left alone with only his intrusive thoughts to keep him company. Nishinoya must have known this, he figured. 

“Ah, well,” He began sheepishly, careful to keep his voice down. “I lived with my mom closer to the far eastern part of the Karasuno district.” He said softly. “I’m an only child, and my mom’s a single mom. She was never married, and she’s pretty okay with that. She owned a bakery in town, so I’ve always been working there with her. I liked it a lot.” He smiled fondly. The memory of the small, cozy shop, filled with the warm scent of baking bread and pastries came to his consciousness. He felt a twinge of homesickness at this.

“That sounds awesome,” Nishinoya said, leaning in. His eyes were wide, filled with awe. 

Laughing sheepishly, Asahi looked away, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Y-yeah, it was pretty great…” He trailed off. He wondered how his mom was doing. He hoped she was okay- maybe it hadn’t been so bad at home. Their house was in a rather rural area, after all…

“What about your dad?”

Hesitating, Asahi thought back to his father. He’d only met with him a handful of times, and while many people would think that it was tragic, Asahi never really minded. He was perfectly happy living just with his mom- she cared for him a lot, and he never felt the need to want more than that. “Well, he visited sometimes. He didn’t really stay, though. He just wanted to see how things were going, you know? He wasn’t all that interested in being a big part of my life.”

Nishinoya fell silent. He didn’t speak for a moment, before finally looking over at Asahi. “He sounds pretty lame, no offense. You’re okay with him being all distant, like that?”

Laughing, Asahi nodded. “Yeah, he is pretty lame, I guess. And nah, it doesn’t bother me. Me and my mom are pretty close.” He trailed off slightly, once again feeling a pang of worry for his mother.

After a moment, Asahi turned to Nishinoya. “What about your family? You said you had a little brother…”

At the question, Nishinoya stiffened slightly. Asahi may have only imagined it, but he looked a bit nervous for a second. However, it happened too quickly for Asahi to be able to tell. The other waved him off lazily.

“Oh, they’re nothing cool like you and your mom.” He drawled. “I lived with just my dad for a while, before he ended up marrying my step-mom. She already had a daughter, and then her and my dad had a son together. So I have two younger siblings. My step sister, Noriko, and my half brother, Akihiro.”

“Oh,” Asahi managed after a moment. He hadn’t realized that Nishinoya’s family life was that...complicated. “What about your mom?”

After he said it, he realized that he probably shouldn’t have. A wave of guilt rolled over him, but Nishinoya simply shrugged, seemingly indifferent. “She died when I was young. I don’t really remember her.” He responded. “My step-mom’s really cool, though. So she’s my real-but-not-real mom, I guess?” He paused, considering it, before shrugging. “Yeah, even if she’s not my biological mom, I consider her to be.”

Asahi stared at Nishinoya in awe. He couldn’t imagine life without his mother. “That’s what matters, I guess…” Asahi trailed off lamely, not sure what to say.

With a big grin, Nishinoya glanced at Asahi. “But I bet she can’t compare to your mom.” He teased, rolling onto his side to face Asahi. “Single mom who owns her own business  _ and _ manages to raise the best ace in the Miyagi prefecture? She’s gotta be  _ awesome _ .” He praised. Asahi felt himself blush, but Nishinoya continued before he could interrupt. “You’re going to have to introduce me one day.”

Laughing sheepishly, Asahi nodded. “Y-yeah! Definitely. She’d like you…” He trailed off. 

Nishinoya turned away, flopping down to lay on his back. “That’s good. I wouldn’t want your mom to hate me.” He mused. He shifted, placing his arms beneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling. 

Asahi watched him for another short moment, before turning away. “I don’t think she could. It’s hard to hate someone like you.” He mused, half to himself.

There was a short pause, before Nishinoya snorted. “Damn right. I’m the coolest libero in Japan. How could anyone hate me?” He boasted cheekily. Asahi laughed quietly, but after a few moments, Nishinoya continued, his voice much softer. “Do you really think that…?”

Pausing, Asahi glanced at Nishinoya. The other’s eyes were trained on him. He looked unusually childish, with his eyes wide and hair down. “Well... yeah. You’re so confident and outgoing and… you inspire a lot of people. I can’t see how anyone could hate you.”

Nishinoya’s eyes were wide and unusually unguarded. After a moment, he shifted, turning his head slightly to look out the window. “You’d be surprised.” He hummed. “I guess not everyone has the same image of me as you do.” He smirked, feigning arrogance. “Surprising, I know, but it’s the truth.” His voice had regained its tone of humor, and Asahi almost felt a little sad at the loss of sincerity. He hadn’t realized how often Nishinoya concealed his true feelings.

Asahi turned away, gaze once again meeting the ceiling. He stared up at the white panels, mind wandering vaguely. He did feel a lot more relaxed, at least. Nishinoya helped him a lot. Something about the other’s cheery, confident demeanor was contagious. Something inside his chest burned, and suddenly, he felt the need to admit to Nishinoya that he had feelings for him.

He wasn’t sure where this confidence had come from. But he felt like he finally  _ could _ , after nearly two years of harboring this crush on the team’s libero. He turned, heart pounding in his chest, ready to tell Nishinoya that he liked him, when Nishinoya spoke.

“You should sleep, Asahi-san. You’re coming with me on my jog before the sun rises.”

Asahi blinked. Suddenly, his unusual confidence flew out the window.  _ What was I thinking!? _ He scolded himself. Nishinoya was only helping him. As a friend. If Asahi were to drop the crush bomb on him, Nishinoya would definitely be freaked out.

“I don’t even get a choice…?” Asahi attempted, although he already knew the answer.

“Nope! G’night, Asahi. See ya in a few hours!”

The other turned over, his back facing Asahi. He stare for a moment, before smiling faintly, settling down on his own futon. “Goodnight, Nishinoya-san.”

For the first time ever, Asahi was able to fall asleep after a nightmare.

\---

As promised, Nishinoya had woken Asahi up before the sun rose. The sky was only just beginning to turn blue in the distance, signifying the approaching dawn, but it was still  _ way _ earlier than Asahi would have typically wanted to wake up.

Still, the idea of going with Nishinoya was much more appealing than staying asleep, despite how much he protested. Even if it meant going outside the classroom and running the darkened hallways with only flashlights to guide their way. 

Of course, Nishinoya had woken Tanaka up as well, and together, they jogged leisurely through the halls. They stayed in the safer areas- the parts that they’d blocked off closest to the classroom- and simply ran in one giant circle. Kind of like a track around a football field. 

Asahi counted the number of times they passed the classroom door. One, five, ten, and so on. It didn’t seem like Nishinoya and Tanaka were keeping track of the number of times they went around. They were probably running based on how tired they got, or how high the sun was in the sky. Within twenty minutes, there was enough light to shut off the flashlights and deposit them by the classroom door before continuing.

They must have been jogging for about an hour or so. Asahi had no real way of keeping track of time, and neither did Nishinoya and Tanaka. When they finally slowed to a stop by the classroom, they took a few moments to cool down and stretch their muscles out, joking around between labored breaths.

Asahi couldn’t deny that the run had felt oddly refreshing. His muscles, despite the dull ache, felt warmer, buzzing with a comfortable energy. He’d been severely slacking in terms of exercising lately, and he’d have to thank Nishinoya later for insisting that he go with him and Tanaka.

They walked back into the classroom, blocking the door behind them. By now, Suga, Daichi, Kageyama, and Yamaguchi were awake. Hinata and Tsukishima were still sleeping soundly on their futons while the others talked quietly. 

Daichi and Suga glanced up as Asahi, Nishinoya, and Tanaka walked in. “Good morning!” Nishinoya called out. Asahi and Tanaka echoed the greeting.

“Mornin’! Welcome back!” Suga called brightly. Daichi gave them a nod. Kageyama waved awkwardly, while Yamaguchi mumbled a good morning back to them. 

They approached, joining the group. 

“We were just talking about how we should go about sending the first group out.” Suga began. His warm gaze flicked over Asahi, Nishinoya, and Tanaka. “Which would be you three. We think we came up with a pretty decent plan so far.” He nodded to Daichi.

Asahi wasn’t quite sure if he was ready to have this conversation yet.

The captain cleared his throat slightly. “Suga and I will be on the roof with our bows, along with the first years.” He began gruffly. “We’ll keep an eye out, and if we see any zombies, we’ll shoot them. We’ll also let you guys know if there’s any zombies nearby, but are out of our range.”

Daichi lifted his hand. A whistle hung from a lanyard around his fingers. 

“If you hear the whistle, one of you can look over, and we’ll point in the direction that the zombie’s in. That doesn’t mean you let your guard down in the opposite direction, though.” Daichi’s voice took on a tone of warning. “You keep your eyes wide open. There could be zombies that we missed, or can’t see.”

Asahi swallowed what felt like a rock in his throat. Beside him, Nishinoya saluted. “Aye, capt’n!” He grinned cheekily. 

“You guys are like snipers. That’s so cool.” Tanaka gushed, wiping away an invisible tear. “One day, I aspire to reach your level of awesome….”

Suga laughed, while Daichi sighed, feigning exasperation. It wasn’t hard to see the affection he held for the rowdy second-year, despite how much he tried to hide it. “You can dream, Tanaka-san.” He nodded, waving the other off.

“I already do.” Tanaka sighed dramatically. “One day, one day…”

So, it seemed that was the plan. It made perfect sense. Still, it didn’t help much to ease Asahi’s nerves. Now that the day had come, he regretted taking comfort in being able to procrastinate yesterday. Maybe if he’d gone out yesterday, he might have died and he wouldn’t have to deal with this tiresome anxiety of his. Oddly enough, he took comfort in the bitter thought, despite that quiet voice at the back of his head that told him that it probably wasn’t a healthy mindset.

After a quick breakfast of thawed vegetables, bread, and stale rice, they began putting on their protective gear. Asahi’s heart thumped unsteadily against his chest as he adjusted the football gear on his shoulders. A nausea in his stomach refused to settle, and for what seemed like the thousandth time this week, he wished he hadn’t eaten.

Beside him, Nishinoya was dipping his fingers in the paint. He’d already gotten all his gear on, minus the helmet. He then lifted his hand to his face, painting a ragged line down over each of his cheeks from just underneath his eyes. They started out wide, before tapering to points near his jaw. 

Then, he turned to Asahi. Those golden eyes glinted with a mischievousness that sent a spark of nervousness through Asahi’s chest. He stiffened, pausing, watching as Nishinoya scooted closer to him, settling down on his knees beside him.

“Hold still, Asahi-san!”

“Do I have to…?” Asahi asked softly, trailing off, but he remained still obediently. He closed his eyes, brows furrowing slightly as he felt Nishinoya’s paint-covered fingertips slide smoothly across his skin.

“Yep.” Nishinoya replied bluntly, despite Asahi’s compliance. A few seconds passed before the other’s fingers left his skin. As Asahi opened his eyes, he watched Nishinoya lean back, grinning smugly as he assessed his work.

“Perfect. Now you look like you’re ready to kick some zombie ass.” 

“I didn’t look like that before?”

“Nah, you looked like a lost puppy. Now you’re a  _ cool _ lost puppy, y’know?”

“R-right…”

Nishinoya turned away, shuffling over to Tanaka, who put on one of his signature intimidation faces while Nishinoya smeared paint on his face. Asahi found himself staring, and he quickly looked away, but not before he caught Suga staring at him from the side.

Stiffening slightly, Asahi locked eyes with him, freezing in the middle of putting on his knee pads. Suga’s eyes gleamed, sending a nervous feeling through Asahi’s chest.  _ He’s thinking something. He’s thinking something that I don’t like. _

Suga only cast him a knowing, mischievous smile, before turning away as he continued putting on his own gear. Asahi watched him nervously for a moment, before turning, slowly strapping the knee pad on. He didn’t really want to know why Suga smiled at him like that. It reeked of trouble. 

It didn’t take long at all to put on the equipment. Everyone wore at least something- nobody was going to be sitting around, after all. While Suga and Daichi would be shooting from the roof, the first years would also be keeping an eye out for zombies. They weren’t likely to get attacked, but in a world like this, there was no such thing as being too cautious.

Meanwhile, the opposite could be said for the ones going out into the town to explore. Asahi, Nishinoya, and Tanaka may be walking into the heart of the danger. They could be just walking to their deaths. Or, even worse, they could become zombies.

The image of the zombie that looked like Nishinoya popped back into his head. Its hair matted, golden eyes hidden beneath a layer of greenish film. Would he be able to shoot Nishinoya if he were a zombie?

Asahi wasn’t quite sure of the answer to that question.

In fact, he didn’t think he could shoot  _ anyone _ he knew that had become a zombie. He still saw them as human; maybe not entirely human, and in many cases, they were only vaguely human. Even so, they were once  _ people _ . Asahi always was the sentimental type, so it’s no real surprise that he would see a monster for what it used to be instead of what it’d become.

He followed after Daichi and Suga silently as they led the way out of the classroom. They walked quietly, a few of them speaking softly amongst themselves, but only in murmurs. Despite the rather good morning that they’d had, the looming danger was clear. It were as if a heavy cloud hung low just over their heads, ready to break and downpour at any second. It was incredibly tense.

They stopped at the staircase. Nishinoya and Tanaka stepped up to Asahi’s sides as Daichi and Suga turned to face them. Daichi’s gaze flicked over the trio, his eyes glittering with a deep concern hidden well beneath a strong facáde. It was moments like this that made Asahi appreciate how much of a leader Daichi really was. There was no doubt that he feared for their lives, and yet, he still managed to look powerful. 

“You three promise to be careful, right?” The brunette asked, his voice low with an unusual seriousness.

Beside him, Tanaka grinned broadly. “C’mon, Dai-san,” He drawled, taking a step forward. “Have some faith in us. We know what we’re doing.” 

On his other side, Nishinoya was uncharacteristically serious. His lips were pressed into a thin line, and his eyebrows were furrowed slightly. Still, though, his gold eyes glittered with intensity. He was probably just nervous, which made sense, considering the situation. “We’ll be fine. We’ll be there and back in no time at all.” He grinned, attempting to be reassuring, though his voice was just slightly quieter than normal.

Daichi stared at Tanaka for a few seconds, before breaking into a small, forced grin. “Ah, you’re right.” He said softly. “I just figured I’d ask.” His gaze flicked to Asahi when he said that, and he could see the other’s dark eyes harden slightly. 

Giving a slow nod, Asahi murmured softly, “I’ll make sure we’re careful. No unnecessary risks.” He reassured the captain.

At this, Daichi seemed to relax slightly. “I trust you, Asahi.” He said, smiling faintly. He took a step backwards, gaze flicking one last time over the three. “Good luck.”

Without another word, the three turned, heading down the staircase to the first floor. Nobody said goodbye- there was a firm belief that goodbyes weren’t necessary. They were going to be coming back soon- no more than a few hours tops. They’d all come back safe, in one piece. No problems.

The nagging voice at the back of Asahi’s head seemed reluctant to let him believe this.

They walked down the hall in silence. The only sound filling their ears was the eerie echo of their footsteps through the abandoned corridors of the school. It was a short walk to the front entrance. To Asahi, the looming double doors looked more like the gates to Hell than just a pair of doors. They might as well be, too, because the monsters that lurked just beyond them were certainly unholy in every sense of the word.

At the door, Asahi slowed to a stop. Next to him, the two second years stopped as well. After a few seconds, Nishinoya spoke.

“Asahi-san…?”

His voice was low, deathly serious. Beneath the wary tone it held, Asahi could sense the other’s suspicion. The unspoken question that he seemed to be asking.

_ Are you going to run away? _

With a deep breath, Asahi lifted his free hand, pushing the door open roughly. It swung open, and without hesitation, Asahi stepped through. The cool morning air rushed in, and it felt surprisingly refreshing, despite the fear that pulsed within his chest with every thrumming heartbeat.

He hadn’t realized that he’d closed his eyes until he opened them. It was brighter than Asahi was used to, and his eyes ached dully as they slowly adjusted. Still, it was overcast- the sky was a pure, greyish white, contrasting sharply to the vibrant greens of the trees and plants and the soft pinks of the fallen petals that surrounded the base of the cherry blossom trees. 

Taking a deep breath, Asahi kept walking, his strides long and deliberate. Nishinoya and Tanaka flanked him, keeping rather close, but no doubt very aware of their surroundings. Neither spoke a word, signifying their switch to being serious. It reminded Asahi of how they were in games; especially Nishinoya. Surprisingly, uncharacteristically silent.

The only sounds were the occasional chirps of solitary birds in the trees, and their feet crunching on the gravel. Far above, the crows seemed to have spotted them. They circled low, seeming to have learned that following humans meant that they were likely to get food. Damn the crows and their intelligence. It was always a bad omen when scavenger birds were following.

The crows cawed amongst themselves. The sound echoed around the school, bouncing between the numerous buildings on the property. Asahi tried his best to tune them out, but like many things, they seemed to pierce through every wall he built like bullets through paper. His senses seemed hyperfocused, and he couldn’t tell if he were grateful for that or not.

The landscape was eerily silent, despite the cawing of the crows. Their cries faded into a perpetual background noise after a few short moments, and Asahi found himself focusing on their footsteps crunching on the dirt in order to avoid the roaring within his own ears.

He glanced back, seeking the roof. His gaze landed upon Daichi and Suga, who stood at the edge of the three story building. Daichi had one foot up on the sill, with Suga standing beside him. Their gazes scanned the landscape, although after a moment, he could see Suga’s eyes fall on him, locking their gazes. 

The fair-haired setter gave a soft smile, lifting his free hand in a thumbs up. Asahi narrowed his eyes slightly; that wasn’t exactly the most reassuring thing he could do. 

However, in a split second, Suga’s expression changed. His face hardened, and he stiffened. He said something to Daichi, and the other turned, tensing up.

“Up ahead.” He called out, voice only just loud enough for them to be able to hear. 

Asahi turned, feeling his heart skip a few beats. Ahead of them, there were a few sparse trees dotting the lawn. Asahi had fond memories of sitting beneath these trees and studying with two or three friends, spending lunch there, and generally enjoying other peaceful activities. 

Now, these trees loomed up over him ominously, concealing an ungodly danger that would have given Asahi nightmares  _ before _ the apocalypse began. He could see the dark shapes now- they staggered, seemingly rising from the spot in which they’d died in. Their soft groaning traveled over the distance dividing them, although it became louder and more desperate as they seemed to realize why they’d risen from their temporary graves.

“You two ready?” Asahi questioned, although he couldn’t hide the slight shake to his voice. He was terrified, but he felt the need to say  _ something _ at least.

To his left, Tanaka scoffed softly. “They don’t stand a chance.” He hissed, holding out his mallet towards them. His eyes glittered dangerously. “Just let them  _ try _ .”

“They are gonna try, bro. That’s kinda why we gotta get’em before they get us.” Nishinoya muttered. As Asahi glanced at him, he realized that Nishinoya looked a bit nervous. He was holding his bat tightly, wringing the handle in his hands. His voice lacked the intensity it normally held.

A spark of worry lit up inside Asahi, and he tightened his grip on his bow.  _ I’ll protect the both of you. _ He thought to himself.  _ I promise. _

With this in mind, Asahi lifted the bow, holding it out straight in front of him. He pulled an arrow from his makeshift quiver, then notched it onto the string. He drew it back slowly, allowing the string to brush just barely past his cheek. He walked in swift, sweeping strides, deliberate and calculated.

Maybe it was the gravity of the moment. Or maybe it was the unspoken promise he’d made to Nishinoya and Tanaka. Whatever it was, it made his apprehension dissolve. In its place was just a quiet sense of duty. Take down the zombie, protect your teammates. 

They were just out of range- Asahi couldn’t afford to miss. He had about 20 precious, irreplaceable arrows. Even losing one could be detrimental while he was out here. As a result, his mind began counting down the seconds. It was slow, the numbers burning deep into the mental images that swirled in his head. 

_ Three _ .

There were five zombies. They stumbled, arms reaching out for the humans which they sought to devour.

_ Two _ .

Beside him, Tanaka and Nishinoya stayed close, their gazes flicking around the landscapes on their respective sides as they searched for other zombies. Still, as they got closer, they began to focus on the zombies in front of them. They were coming to a distance where the zombies’ unpredictability could be fatal.

_ One _ .

Asahi’s hand around the handle of his bow shifted, finding a comfortable position over the wood. His two fingers around the string began to burn, itching for release. All sound began to drown out, fading to a dull ringing. All his senses were focused on the zombie leading the group, the one straight down from the shaft of his arrow. It began to move in slow motion, and Asahi knew that it was time fire the shot that would begin the fight.

_ Zero. _

The arrow flew. A second later, it pierced clean through the leading zombie’s skull, coming out the back. The sound of it was like thunder, bringing with it Asahi’s sense of hearing. His senses once again registered everything around him- the crows, the zombie’s groanings, Daichi and Suga yelling from the rooftop, Tanaka and Nishinoya’s feet hitting Earth as they suddenly took off running towards the zombies. 

The zombie that’d been hit collapsed, falling backwards and landing with a heavy  _ thud _ as though it were a lifeless doll. The other zombies paid no attention to it- instead, they moved faster, hobbling desperately towards the two second years. 

Asahi broke into a run after the two of them. He notched another arrow, ready to let it fly once he got a clear shot. He saw Nishinoya veer towards the zombie on the far right, and the other one that was closest turned to follow. Deciding to go after this one, Asahi trained his arrow on its head as he slowed, feet skidding slightly as he got into a shooting stance. As Nishinoya’s bat collided with a zombie’s head, Asahi released the arrow.

Like the other one, it pierced cleanly through the zombie’s skull. It collapsed just after Nishinoya’s swing caused the other zombie’s head to explode into a million darkened, rotting fragments. It collapsed, and Nishinoya stumbled back, his eyes wide in a look of exhilarated shock. The gore dripped off the scratched metal surface of the bat in chunks, landing in the sparse grass and gravel with thick squelching noises.

Asahi stared at Nishinoya. The libero was breathing hard, his back slumped slightly, bat still hanging from both his hands. His hair was disheveled, and the football gear he wore was splattered with blood and guts and crushed bone. Nishinoya’s gaze slowly met his own, and they stared at each other silently for a few seconds. 

Within the guarded depths of Nishinoya’s eyes, Asahi could see it- the fear of the zombies, the disgust at what he was forced to do. He took no pleasure from the fight, despite his contradictory behavior in the school. 

It was all an act. The boasting, the excitement, the willingness to go out and fight; it was a front. Nishinoya was just as scared as Asahi was.

A wave of guilt washed over him. He was having panic attacks, being openly afraid of the beasts, and wimping out of his responsibilities as both a third year and a leader. Meanwhile, Nishinoya- the second year, younger than Asahi, was harboring the same fear. However, not once did he show it. Not once did he back down. He faced them head on, despite his fears, and was able to take them out. 

Not only that, but he’d told Asahi that he’d protect him. Last night, he’d promised that to him, despite his own personal fears. He was able to throw them aside in order to protect  _ Asahi _ , of all people, who should be able to take care of himself. Who should be able to protect Nishinoya, and the rest of the team. 

Oh, how tragic it is to be faced with your own weakness.

Asahi didn’t have much time to dwell on his guilty conscience. Nishinoya’s gaze flicked to something behind him, instantly hardening. All traces of fear were buried beneath the intensity of his stare. Asahi found himself following Nishinoya’s line of vision, turning abruptly just as the sound of Tanaka’s mallet connecting with a zombie’s skull pierced through his head.

Instantly, Asahi had another arrow notched. He trained the point at the zombie that was stumbling up to Tanaka from behind, but just as he was about to shoot, Tanaka whirled around. He swung sharply, and the mallet hit hard, slamming straight through its jaw. The lower half of the zombie’s face was smashed, and the pieces of it fell to the floor in dark, blackish red chunks.  

It stumbled, falling to the ground. With a grunt, Tanaka slammed his heel down onto it, effectively killing it.

Lowering his bow, Asahi stared at Tanaka in shock. The other was breathing hard, but he didn’t have that disturbed look on his face like Nishinoya had. He flicked his mallet out to the side, shaking the gore off it. He didn’t seem to notice the blood that dripped down the leg of his pants, coating his shoe. before turning to Nishinoya and Asahi. “Ready to keep going?” He asked, eyes bright and concerningly undisturbed.

Beside him, Nishinoya sucked in a breath. “Bro, you’re so cool.” He whispered, darting to Tanaka. The spiker grinned, patting Nishinoya’s head fondly. 

“Save it for later, babe. We’ve got some zombies to crush.”

“Your awesomeness knows no bounds…”

Clearing his throat, Asahi cut them off before they could hype eachother up. “We should keep going.” He suggested, looking out over the expanse of land. The sooner they got this over with, the better. God knows how many zombies were actually out there, and Asahi wasn’t exactly keen on finding out.

The two second years looked to Asahi, before nodding. As though someone flipped a switch, their faced melted into one of seriousness. They fell back into an unspoken formation, with Asahi leading and Tanaka and Nishinoya flanking him on either side. He paused only to take the shafts of the arrows he’d shot and pull them out of the skulls of the fallen zombies.

It was quiet. Asahi expected more- he had figured that there’d be tons of zombies who’d sensed the presence of humans- fresh meat- and were hobbling over to try to kill them. However, evidently, this was not the case. Everything was quiet and peaceful, except for the five zombies that’d come out from the trees. 

Somehow, this made Asahi more anxious.

Beside him, Nishinoya growled out, “Asahi, over there.”

His gaze followed the finger that Nishinoya had pointed towards the western edge of the fence. A zombie, still clad in a school uniform, was stumbling towards them. As it walked, another rose up from a tall patch of grass, joining the first one.

Asahi quickly took them both out once they were in range. It was becoming easier, he realized, to kill them. He figured he was putting them out of their misery, at least. Or maybe, he was killing them to defend his teammates. 

It was also possible that he was doing it to protect his own skin. Nevertheless, he was glad that he was finally starting to be able to kill them without feeling too guilty about it. In a world like this, his sentimentality could prove fatal.

They retrieved the arrows. Asahi had to put his foot against the zombie’s face to pull it out, as it was stuck on something. The skin beneath his foot slid, no longer connected to the bone. It slipped off like a rotten apple peel, revealing rotting, greenish-black flesh that had seemed to have turned into something with the consistency of molasses. The smell that rose up from it was rancid, incredibly sweet with decay, but with an underlying hint of a sour sickliness. This decay wasn’t normal- it was something unnatural. Inhuman.

He didn’t want to stay around the corpses any longer. He quickly slipped the arrows back into his quiver, before turning away. He didn’t want to look at the zombie’s rolled-up eyes, or its destroyed face. The girl’s school uniform it wore didn’t help Asahi’s conscience, either.

He knew that, despite being able to turn away from them now, their faces would be plaguing his dreams later that night. Maybe he wasn’t quite as desensitized as he’d thought.

While Tanaka and Nishinoya grumbled about how nasty the smell had been, and how gross it was that the skin just slid right off the rotting flesh, Asahi led the way to the main gates. He glanced back at Daichi and Suga- they were rather far off now, but still close enough to see their faces. After catching Asahi’s stare, Daichi gave him a thumbs up. He assumed that meant that they didn’t see any zombies.

Taking a deep breath, Asahi paused at the gates. They were still wide open. That was a bit unnerving. Zombies could have gotten in here at any time, and there was no way of stopping them. 

After Nishinoya and Tanaka walked through, Asahi closed the gates. He slid a small bar, which served as the locking mechanism,  into place so that it wouldn’t be pushed open. He then turned around to face the road. “Alright.” He said slowly, walking in between Nishinoya and Tanaka. “We’re on our own. Keep a lookout, okay?”

They started walking, their feet crunching on the gravel generating the only sound besides the occasional breeze. It was eerie. The town, despite being more rural than others in Miyagi, was usually rather bustling, especially around the school. There’d be occasional cars, people laughing as they walked, dogs barking in the distance. Now, everything was quiet. The world was oddly grey, in a way.

It was peaceful, though. Nothing stirred. They walked towards the heart of town, where there was a cluster of shops that they could go through. Nothing jumped out at them. Nothing rose up from a temporary death to try to devour them. It was certainly strange, and very contradictory to what Asahi had expected. He never would have figured that he’d be concerned about the lack of zombies, but here he was. Being concerned about the lack of zombies, and all. What a strange turn of events.

They stuck to the main road. Occasionally, a zombie or a few would stumble out of a car wreck. They were easily taken out, usually by Asahi’s arrows, but if they were close enough and it wasn’t out of the way, Nishinoya or Tanaka would take care of it. 

It was Nishinoya’s idea to go through the wrecks to search for supplies.

He’d paused, after killing a zombie. His golden eyes were trained on the twisted mass of metal and carnage, long since having cooled down from what appeared to have been an explosion. 

“What is it?” Asahi asked, approaching the smaller boy. 

Nishinoya turned, fixing his intense stare on Asahi. “We should search these crashes.” He said bluntly. Tanaka walked over to stand beside Asahi, watching Nishinoya curiously. “We could find stuff that we might need.”

Asahi and Tanaka exchanged a thoughtful look. Then, deciding that Nishinoya had a point, they began digging through the wreckage. Asahi scratched his forearms and hands on the shredded metal more than a few times in the process, and he could see that Nishinoya and Tanaka had done the same. None of it was bad enough to warrant a bandage, however, so they simply wiped away the blood.

They didn’t find much in that particular crash. However, after investigating a few others, and breaking into abandoned cars in the road, they found a few pocket knives, various hand tools, some backpacks, and other general supplies. 

One item stood out among the findings, however. While going through the trunk of a sedan, Tanaka had found a handgun. A semi-automatic .45 pistol, along with two cases of bullets. Since he’d found it, he kept it. He let Nishinoya mess around with it, though Asahi made sure that they took the magazine out first.

Eventually, they made it to town. It’d taken about two hours, mostly because they stopped to investigate the abandoned cars and wrecks on the way. The streets were empty; quaint shops that had been bustling with commerce were now vacant, their windows smashed, products knocked over but otherwise mostly untouched. Debris and garbage littered the streets, blown about by the wind from a storm that had swept through at some point within the past two weeks.

Altogether, it’d become a ghost town, devoid of life.

Asahi wondered what’d happened to the people. No doubt, many were turned into zombies. But certainly, there had to be some survivors. It was unrealistic to think that every single person had died, despite the fact that it certainly seemed that way. Still, it was possible that the survivors had left. Or they might just be hiding. Nevertheless, it certainly felt like they were completely alone.

But, of course, there were zombies. They did expect the main town to have at least  _ some _ . Afterall, it was the center of town, where everyone hung out. It was only natural that it’d be crawling with corpses, right?

Asahi thought that he’d come to terms with this. However, when they rounded the corner into the town square, he was in no way prepared for what he saw.

He held out his arm, slamming Nishinoya and Tanaka back against the wall. He quickly pulled back, pressing his back against the bricks, sucking in a quick breath. The two second years looked at him in a mixture of confusion and annoyance, but when they saw Asahi’s face, they seemed to realize that something was wrong.

“Zombies.” Asahi whispered. “A horde of them.”

It was no exaggeration. There’d been at least thirty, maybe more, milling around the fountain that marked the center of the square. They were mindless, moving without intention, bumping into eachother, Their heads were low, backs slumped and lifeless, but their legs kept them moving and shuffling. 

It was rather horrific.  

He lowered his arm slowly off of Nishinoya and Tanaka. They remained where they were, against the wall. Asahi took a deep breath, willing his thrumming heart to slow so that he could just  _ think _ , devise a strategy to get around these beasts. However, he’d never been the intellectual- he was the brute strength. He’d give anything to have someone like Kageyama or Tsukishima here right about now.

But he didn’t. Besides, he couldn’t rely on others. He was supposed to be the leader- it was his job to bring his teammates home safe. 

“We can’t just stand here.” Nishinoya hissed. His eyes were locked on Asahi, his gaze furious. “What are we gonna do? Are we fighting them? Are we going back?” 

“We can’t go back.” Asahi muttered. He glanced back towards the town square. The general store, which was likely to have a large supply of canned and preserved foods as well as various supplies, was situated right near the center of the square. Its entrance faced the horde, and even if they were to backtrack and take the long way, they’d still end up having to go into the square in order to get to it.

“Let me think for a second.” Asahi whispered. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The zombies were certainly mindless. They relied entirely on instinctual senses, it seemed- they reacted to noise, smell, and visuals. How could he use that to his advantage?

He opened his eyes. His gaze fell on some of the debris on the ground- in particular, a broken brick from where a car had slammed into the wall. 

_ This is crazy. _ He thought to himself, paranoia threatening to rise deep within his gut.  _ This is insane. We’re probably going to die. _

Still, he leaned down, taking the brick in his hand. The coarse, gritty feeling was heavy in his shaking hand. He turned to the two second years. “I think I have an idea…”

After telling them his plan, they seemed to accept it. He’d even gotten a pat on the back from Tanaka, saying that it was genius. Asahi wasn’t sure if he agreed, but he appreciated the praise nevertheless.

Asahi turned, stepping close to the corner of the building they were hiding behind. He nervously squeezed the brick in his hand, before taking a deep breath.  _ One, two, three. _

He reeled back, before hurling the brick. He stayed behind the wall as much as he could, and as soon as he threw the brick, he jumped back behind the wall as though he’d just tossed a grenade. A few seconds passed before the distant sound of the brick landing in the street at the opposite edge of the square echoed loudly throughout the vacant streets.

Following this, the sound of the shuffling feet shifted. Suddenly, they had a destination, and they became quicker, closing in on the source of the sound. Asahi whispered, “Now!” and they darted out from behind the wall.

Asahi had never sprinted so fast in his life. Nishinoya and Tanaka stayed close, their feet as quiet as possible on the brick. Several zombies turned, their empty eyes following the trio, and they quickly began following. Still, they couldn’t catch up, and the three had already burst into the store and closed the door behind them.

“The shelf!” Tanaka hissed. Knowing what he meant, Asahi darted to the side, pushing a wooden shelf over with a low grunt. It toppled over, spilling various boxed foods across the floor. Tanaka and Nishinoya quickly joined Asahi in pushing the shelf to the door. They got it into place just as the corpses slammed into the door, pawing and scratching at it as they groaned. 

The three panted heavily. Then, Nishinoya laughed. He doubled over, laughing breathlessly. Simultaneously, Asahi and Tanaka looked at the libero. He wondered if Nishinoya had lost his mind. 

“Is this it?” Tanaka asked incredulously, eyes wide. “Did he finally snap?”

Asahi blinked at the other, before looking back down at Nishinoya. “I-I hope not…”

Standing up straight, Nishinoya waved his hand. He was still giggling softly. “It’s just a stress reaction. No worries!” He exclaimed. He turned abruptly. “C’mon, we got stuff to steal.” He marched into the gloom, throwing his bat over his shoulder.

The two stared after him, before Tanaka snorted. “Fuckin’ weirdo.” He said, although Asahi could hear the fondness in his voice. He followed after the libero, disappearing into the shadows.

Asahi hesitated. His gaze flicked back to the zombies- originally, there’d been about five of them. However, they seemed to have attracted other zombies- there was a large group now, maybe half of the entire horde. They clawed at the glass, and it creaked, threatening to give way.

Asahi decided that he no longer wanted to stay there. He turned quickly, jogging after Nishinoya and Tanaka.

They were already filling their backpacks with food and other supplies. They found knives in the cooking tools section, and were stuffing them into their bags. Besides that, they picked out a variety of canned and preserved foods, mostly things that didn’t need to be cooked. 

Nishinoya had found a bunch of lighters. He stuffed them into his pockets, insisting that they needed to use them to make fires. That was fair enough. He’d also gotten some hair gel, although he also picked out some hairspray.

“Watch this.” He told Asahi, grinning at him. He shook the can of hairspray, before getting into a dramatic lunge pose. He held the can out, before lighting the lighter and holding it about 3 inches from the nozzle of the hairspray.

When he pressed the top down, the hairspray immediately caught fire, creating a billowing stream of swirling fire. Asahi took a step back, eyes wide in shock, but Nishinoya looked excited.

Tanaka rounded the corner, narrowing his eyes. “Cut that out, you pyro.” He snapped teasingly. “You’re gonna set this place on fire.”

Groaning, Nishinoya let the lighter flicker out. He lowered the can, rolling his head dramatically to look at Tanaka. “Alright,  _ mom _ .” He drawled. He pocketed the lighter, before grabbing a few more cans of hairspray and stuffing them into his backpack.

Asahi stifled a small laugh. He turned away, deciding to keep looking for supplies. He ended up picking out a few more flashlights, along with the necessary batteries to go with them. Besides that, he retrieved a few more boxes of food. By then, their backpacks were about to burst under the strain of their contents, so it was unanimously decided that now would be the time to make their escape.

The front door was a no-go, obviously. The horde of zombies, which seemed to have grown slightly in magnitude, still pawed and scratched at the door. The trio headed into the back instead, out of the main store and into the storage area, past rows of boxes that had never made it to the shelves. 

The back door loomed ahead, and Asahi went through first. He only pushed the door open a crack, peeking out first to make sure it was clear, before slowly opening it.

They stepped out into the alley. It was dark, and littered with garbage. As soon as they stepped out, though, a low groaning sounded, along with some shuffling.

“Got it.” Nishinoya grumbled, stalking forwards, grip tightening on his bat. He swung it down on the zombie that was struggling to stand, effectively killing it. 

With that out of the way, Asahi lead them out of the alley. The streets were quiet- most of the zombies were probably in the square right now, attempting to find their way into the store. This gave them a relatively clear path out of the town and onto the more rural backstreets that were likely to be much safer than a populated area such as this.

“Let’s go,” Asahi whispered, breaking into a jog. He made sure to place his feet down softly, rolling from his heels to his toes deliberately to minimize the amount of noise his gear made. Nishinoya and Tanaka seemed to be doing the same, and it helped. They were near silent, save for the muted tapping of their sneakers against pavement and the soft clacking of the football padding. 

_ We’re in the clear. _ Asahi thought, relief flooding through him.  _ For now, at least. _ He was happy to leave the zombie-infested town behind.  They were at the very edge of the town’s borders within about five minutes of jogging. He didn’t look back, not once.

Not until an ear-splitting scream sounded from somewhere within the backstreets.

Asahi felt his heart drop like a brick through a placid lake. He stopped short, hissing a soft, “Wait!” 

Nearly crashing into him, Nishinoya and Tanaka stopped. “It came from that way,” Nishinoya mumbled, immediately starting in the direction from which the sound came from. Asahi could just barely catch the intense look of worry and fear within his eyes.

Despite the panic that writhed within his chest like a knot of worms, Asahi took the back of Nishinoya’s shirt collar in his hand, pulling him back. “Wait a second,” He whispered. “We need to-”

The smaller boy ripped away from him, rounding on him. His gaze was suddenly furious, as though he’d been personally offended. “We’re not waiting a single  _ second _ , Asahi!” He snarled, voice echoing dangerously off the walls of the buildings surrounding them. “A second could mean the difference between life and death for whoever just screamed back there. We need to go  _ now. _ ”

Unable to keep up with Nishinoya’s sudden ferocity, Asahi stammered for words, the panic only rising within him.

“Noya, you’re gonna attract every single-” Tanaka attempted, but the libero had already turned, breaking into a jog towards the source of the scream. 

“Come with me or not. I don’t care! But don’t get in my way!” Nishinoya snapped, not bothering to look back at them.

The worms seemed to devour his insides, growing in size and in presence. Still, he clenched his fists, tightening the hold he had on his long bow.

“We’re going too.” Asahi mumbled, breaking into a run after Nishinoya, who’d already rounded a corner. He was now out of sight, and Asahi was not comfortable with this in the slightest. The guy would run head-first into a horde of zombies if it meant he could attempt to save someone. Asahi needed to make sure that did not happen.

“You’re damn right we are.” Tanaka growled out beside him as they ran. They rounded the corner after Nishinoya. This area was shadowed by the buildings, though the devastation was still clearly visible. Many of the window displays were smashed in, glass littering the streets. It crunched loudly beneath Asahi’s feet as they ran, and he kept a lookout for zombies that might be attracted by the sound.

_ If there were any that were still dormant, they’d certainly be waking up by now. _ He mused to himself. It wasn’t a very comforting thought.

Up ahead, Nishinoya’s yell echoed through the buildings. Following it was a sick smashing sound- it seemed that he’d encountered some zombies. Asahi ran faster at this, breath coming out in heavy pants. He didn’t care if zombies could hear him.  _ I need to get to him now. _

Another smash followed. As they got closer, Asahi began to hear a soft whimpering from wherever Nishinoya was.

They turned a corner, into an alleyway. It was incredibly dark, and Asahi could just barely see two zombies lying on the ground, their heads smashed into a gorey, indistinguishable mess. Deeper into the alleyway, Nishinoya crouched beside a small lump huddled against the wall, his bloody baseball bat lying discarded beside him.

“Noya…?” Tanaka tried, voice surprisingly soft. Still, it held a note of cautiousness. Asahi watched the libero, not speaking.  _ What did he find…? _

Nishinoya was silent. Whatever- or, whoever- he’d found was whimpering, voice soft and obviously pained. Asahi could just barely see a shake in Nishinoya’s shoulders.

“Who is that?” Asahi asked, taking a step forwards. Worry knotted his stomach, and something about the situation caused bile to rise in his throat. He didn’t like the way the shadows hid the person that Nishinoya had found. He didn’t like the way Nishinoya was shaking. He certainly did not like the strip of cloth, the color of a newborn duckling but stained with splotches of red, that was caught between one of the dead zombie’s teeth.

After a few seconds, Nishinoya took a deep breath, before speaking in a shaky, uncharacteristically soft voice. “It’s Hinata Natsu.” He mumbled.

Natsu… Hinata? As in, their Hinata? Natsu was Shoyo’s younger sister, right?

So why did Nishinoya sound so… broken?

After a few seconds of silence, Nishinoya shifted, revealing the small mass that was curled up against the wall beside him. The first thing Asahi noticed was the signature flash of fiery orange hair that he’d come to recognize as  _ Hinata _ . Then, he noticed the yellow of Natsu’s shirt, that lovely, pastel yellow color. The color that was stained bright red with fresh, oozing blood, originating from the curve of her neck where it met her shoulder. Tears streamed down a face that was much too young, too innocent to be marred with blood splatters like it was. Wide, hazel eyes brimmed with a fear and pain that shattered Asahi’s heart into a thousand fragments.

In the shadows, Asahi could just barely see the wetness of Nishinoya’s cheeks among the splattered blood and fragments of bone. It mixed in with the smeared paint on his skin.

His voice cracked as he spoke words that seemed to stop time itself.

“She was bitten.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more cliffhangers !! gotta love them heheh  
> as always, please leave kudos/comments !! they fuel my writing muse which means more frequent chapters !! also feedback is great just sayin !!
> 
> thanks for reading !
> 
> -Clash


	4. A Bullet With Butterfly Wings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the next chapter !! as always, please give me some feedback !!! kudos/comments/etc help fuel my muse <3
> 
> if anyone is interested, i posted a neat lil one shot in between last chapter and this one. check it out !
> 
> as always, i hope you enjoy <3

_ “She was bitten.” _

All it took was those three words. Those three words hit Asahi like a cold wind, chilling him to the core. It seemed to freeze his heart momentarily, although a morbid part of him wished that it would’ve stopped permanently.

He’d seen the zombies. He’d seen them staggering to him, their hunger for flesh serving as the only will that drove them. Their sunken eyes, hollowed faces, marred with bruises and blood and wounds and decay. The worms that writhed within their swollen stomachs, spilling out onto the pavement as soon as the flesh was split. 

Those things scarred him for life. But he never knew who they once were. He knew they’d been people, but he never had to put a name to the faces. 

This time, he knew-albeit only vaguely-but he knew. 

He could not even begin to imagine what Hinata would have felt like if he were here.

Natsu’s soft whimpers drew Asahi out of his thoughts once more. He looked up, watching as Nishinoya ripped the lower end of his shirt into a thin strip. He leaned towards the girl, giving her a small smile. 

“Hold still, okay? This’ll help you. I promise.”

His voice was a bit clearer now. Asahi couldn’t see much of his face, only the slight curve of a faint smile. But he could see the subtle hints of his previous demeanor- the slump to his shoulders. The way his hands shook as he tied the strip of fabric under Natsu’s arm and over the wound of her shoulder. 

Nishinoya was faking it. For Natsu. No matter how much this impacted him, no matter how broken he may be over it- he still managed to give the girl, cursed by fate and the world’s demise, a fleeting smile.

Asahi didn’t realize that he was crying until he felt the wetness of a tear slip over the curve of his cheek. He ducked his head, sucking in a quick breath, before rubbing his eyes with his wrist furiously.  _ If Nishinoya can fake it, I can too. I can’t make him do this alone. _

Taking a few steps forward, Asahi kneeled down beside Nishinoya. He gave Natsu a warm smile. “It’ll be alright,” He said softly. “We’ll get you somewhere safe.”

The girl looked up at him, her eyes watery, tears streaming down over her cheeks. She only gave a small nod. “O-okay.” She whispered, voice hitching. Once again, Asahi felt a pang in his heart. It were as if some sadistic entity had stuck a dagger straight through it, twisting it at every chance they could get. 

Nishinoya tightened the knot on the makeshift bandage. He then leaned back, inspecting his work. “There! Perfect.” He huffed, running his fingers through his hair to push it back. He turned to Asahi, his eyes surprisingly bright. It was a startling contrast to his previous look, which had been one of raw despair. 

Nishinoya really was a master of deception. It seemed as though concealing his true emotions behind an upbeat and outgoing front was second nature to him.

From the mouth of the alley, Tanaka’s voice echoed faintly. “Hey, hate to say this, but we need to go. Like, now.” The spiker called. His voice was laced with an urgency that sent alarm running through Asahi’s chest..

With one glance at Nishinoya, Asahi leaned over, picking Natsu up in his arms as gently as he could. A second later, though, she began struggling, her eyes wide. 

“W-wait!” She yelped, craning her head to the side. “Rai!”

Asahi stared at her, then looked up to follow her gaze. She seemed to be reaching for a matted lump of fur lying in the dirt. Before Asahi could move towards it, Nishinoya darted, scooping the ratty looking thing up in his hand and returning to Natsu.

“Here,” He said breathlessly. “Now hurry up, we need to leave.”

She wrapped her uninjured arm around the back of Asahi’s neck, using the other to shakily hold onto what Asahi finally recognized as a lion plushie. Its colors were faded, bleached out by the sun, but the mane was a dead giveaway. 

He could feel her trembling in his arms, and another wave of sorrow passed through him. He was once again reminded of the little girl’s fate- an inevitable demise, one which had been sealed the second the zombie sunk its teeth into her flesh.

No, he couldn’t think about that right now. There was an immediate danger that he had to devote all his attention to.

Right now, there were zombies. No matter what came up, their first and foremost objective would be to escape. He could worry about Natsu once they arrived somewhere safe.

Tanaka was the first to leave the alleyway. He held his hammer low, ready to swing it at whatever unfortunate corpse happened to get too close. As Asahi followed Tanaka out, Nishinoya at his heels, he finally saw what Tanaka had been talking about.

The horde from the town square had been attracted by the noise they’d made earlier. They moved slowly, as one giant entity. However, as soon as they caught sight of the humans, their movements became more frantic. They picked up speed, locking on their targets.

A stab of fear ripped through Asahi.  _ No. No no no. I can’t panic, not here, not now… _ His mind whirred. He didn’t realize he’d stopped in his tracks, staring at the horde, until he felt a sharp slam in the center of his back.

Turning, Asahi locked eyes with Nishinoya, who glared up at him. “Now’s not the time to start spacing out, Asahi-san!” He snarled, shoving the third year forward. Asahi stumbled, a bit surprised at Nishinoya’s actions, but he was grateful nevertheless. He  _ did _ snap Asahi out of his temporary trance, after all.

His legs moved beneath him without much thought. Nishinoya fell in behind him, covering his back. If it were any other time, Asahi wouldn’t have let this slide- he wouldn’t accept Nishinoya putting himself in danger to protect him anymore. Or anyone from the team, for that matter. But right now, because he had Natsu, he wouldn’t protest. This was a special case.

They ran as fast as possible. Tanaka’s feet fell about two meters in front of Asahi, and Nishinoya remained only about two steps behind. They ran down the sidewalk, the clapping of their feet echoing off the buildings, nearly drowned out by the incessant groaning of the zombies which pursued them. 

“It’s gonna be okay.” Asahi muttered to Natsu. The girl had tightened her hold on him, crying out softly at the jarring motions of Asahi’s strides. He attempted to soften each footfall, but it was difficult considering he needed to be on his toes, ready to make split second movements. He tried to find a reasonable median, although it didn’t stop the whimpering from Natsu.

In front of him, Tanaka suddenly cursed. At this, Asahi looked up, only to watch as Tanaka was nearly bitten. The spiker was fast, though- the zombie’s teeth only just barely brushed his neck before Tanaka shoved it back, shifting his weight as he swung his hammer. It collided with its mark, crushing the corpse’s skull mercilessly. 

It’d happened over the course of a second. Asahi hadn’t even stopped moving. He was amazed at Tanaka’s reflexes- if Asahi were in his place, he was sure that he would’ve had zombie teeth an inch deep in his neck right about now.

They kept moving. Several zombies had come out from the alleyway in which the first zombie had, and were now a few paces in front of the bigger horde. Still, the three were faster than the zombies. As long as they didn’t run straight into a zombie, or weren’t cornered, they’d be able to escape.

Still, they couldn’t run forever. Eventually, they’d run into more zombies. Either that, or they’d get tired. Or if they did manage to make it all the way back to school, they’d have lead all these zombies back to their safe zone. None of those possibilities were viable options.

So, the only remaining option was to find somewhere that the zombies couldn’t get to them. Preferably inside a building, at the highest point possible.

Up ahead, Asahi could make out a car wreck. The car had crashed into the building, right underneath a fire escape. It made it possible to reach a ladder that could be pulled down.

“Tanaka, there,” Asahi called. The second year glanced back as he ran, before turning forward to follow where Asahi was looking. 

Nodding in understanding, Tanaka replied, “Gotcha.”

Behind him, Nishinoya called out, “You two get Natsu up there, I’ll cover you!”

Despite his apprehension, Asahi nodded, knowing that it was the best option. Besides, he needed to have a little more faith in Nishinoya- the second year was perfectly capable of protecting himself, after all. “Right!”

A few more seconds passed, and then they were at the wreck. Tanaka vaulted on top of the car with the grace of a cat, quickly reaching up to pull down the ladder. 

However, when he pulled it, it only made a loud, metallic clanking sound. 

Cursing, Tanaka snarled, “It’s stuck!”

Asahi felt his heart drop. He stared up in dismay, before looking back to the horde. It was quickly catching up- only about 15 meters away now. There had to be at least 50 now; the noise seemed to have attracted zombies from other areas, or maybe roused them from their temporary slumber.

Beside him, Nishinoya hissed slightly. “Try to get it it loose! We don’t have the time to run around anymore!” He spread his feet, falling into a batting stance. His eyes glittered with intensity, although Asahi could see the underlying fear within the golden depths.

“I’m tryin’, babe!” Tanaka growled out. Asahi glanced over, watching as his hammer collided with the rusted metal. It clanged loudly, chunks of rust falling against the top of the car. To Asahi, it sounded almost like a dinner bell for the zombies. It was an unsettling thought, at least.

It took a few tries. However, after the sixth swing, the ladder suddenly fell, sliding into place. Tanaka let out a triumphant laugh, and Asahi felt relief course through him.

But now wasn’t the time to celebrate. Now, the zombies were barely 7 meters away. Too close for comfort.

Nishinoya stepped in front of Asahi as he turned, lifting Natsu up to Tanaka’s outstretched hands. The second year lifted her, picking her up onto the roof of the car. Asahi clambered up after his hands were freed, before turning to face Natsu. 

“Okay, Natsu-san, do you think you can hold onto my back?” Asahi asked the girl softly.

Nodding, she allowed Tanaka to place her against Asahi’s back. Her arms found their way around Asahi’s neck- one arm much shakier than the other- and her legs tightened around his torso. One hand held the plushie, its tail brushing against his chest lightly.

Once she was secure, Tanaka quickly began climbing the ladder, his hammer in hand. His eyes were cast upwards, ready to for any zombies to pop out of the windows.

Asahi’s hands found a place around the rusted rungs of the ladder. He tested it briefly- it was creaky and definitely unsturdy. However, after he looked back at the horde of zombies, he realized he prefered a rickety ladder over cannibalistic corpses.

“Nishinoya, c’mon!” Tanaka called from the first level of the fire escape. The libero was still standing in place- the first zombies were only about 3 meters away. 

Nishinoya quickly leaped onto the roof of the car just as a zombie lunged. It just narrowly missed Nishinoya’s leg, and Asahi could feel his heart skip a beat. “Be careful, Noya!” He gasped. He hadn’t meant to blurt that, but he couldn’t help it. 

His words were ignored. As soon as he was on the car, Nishinoya turned, swinging the baseball bat into the zombie’s head. It smashed through it, effectively causing the zombie to collapse. However, another two were quick to take its place, and Nishinoya took a small step back to avoid the hands that grabbed for his ankles.

Asahi quickly clambered up onto the floor of the fire escape. “Noya!” He gasped, turning to look over the edge. A zombie was crawling up behind him, over the hood of the car. Nishinoya turned just as it grabbed one of his ankles. It pulled itself close with a surprising speed, angling its mouth as it attempted to strike. Nishinoya was too late- he wouldn’t be able to swing the bat in time. Time seemed to slow as the zombie surged towards Nishinoya’s ankle… 

There was a click beside him. Then, an incredibly loud sound followed that left Asahi’s ears ringing. He turned slowly to see a gun barely a meter away from his face. It was held tightly in Tanaka’s hand, who looked uncharacteristically shocked.

The zombie that’d taken hold of Nishinoya’s leg slumped. Nishinoya’s eyes were wide, panicked, and he quickly reeled back, attempting to rip his ankle from the zombie’s hand. The bones inside cracked sickly, although the hold was obviously tight, locked stiffly in death.

“G-get off!” Nishinoya hissed, voice hoarse and shaky. His eyes were wide in horror, an expression that Asahi had never seen before. He jerked his leg sharply, attempting to rid it of the deceased’s hand, but it wouldn’t budge. The zombie’s weight seemed to be holding him in place, preventing him from moving more than a few inches.

More zombies reached over the car, attempting to grab at Nishinoya. Others were attempting the same path as the other zombie had, and were quickly getting close to him. 

Asahi stood quickly. He notched an arrow onto the string, forcing the fear back down into whatever ungodly pit it’d crawled from.  _ Not now! _ He thought furiously, pulling the arrow back. The shaft slid smoothly against the arrow rest, before he released it. It found its mark in between the eyes of the zombie closest to Nishinoya. He was quick to notch a second arrow.  _ I’m not letting them get you, Noya! _

The libero slammed his bat down on the zombie’s arm in an attempt to free himself. The bone inside it cracked, its coagulated blood splattering in thick, wet chunks. 

Beside him, Tanaka cocked the pistol again, before taking aim. He shot another round, catching a zombie on its shoulder. It jerked violently, although hardly seemed phased by the impact, only continuing to reach for Nishinoya.

After a mumbled curse, Tanaka cocked the gun once more. This time, the bullet hit its mark at the top of the zombie’s head.

However, the sheer congestion of zombies caused them to begin climbing over each other to get on top of the car. Nishinoya was quickly being surrounded, and he was still stuck in place by the zombie holding his ankle.

Asahi knew that, no matter how many zombies they killed, it wouldn’t be enough. There were too many of them. Nishinoya only had seconds left before he’d be completely overwhelmed…

After one more well aimed hit, Nishinoya yanked his leg back, ripping the zombie’s arm in two with a sick tearing sound. Asahi could only wish that he could unsee the way the ligaments and muscle fibers and veins tore apart in between the two halves.

Now that he was free, he was able to turn and swing his bat at a zombie that’d moved up behind him. The bat hit its neck, and while it didn’t kill the zombie, it knocked it off the roof of the car. As Asahi and Tanaka continued firing at the zombies, Nishinoya leapt onto the ladder, climbing up two rungs at a time. Several zombies clawed their way onto the roof of the car where Nishinoya had been only a second before.

If they’d taken even a fraction of a second longer, Nishinoya would have been dragged into the throng.

That was not something that Asahi wanted to think about.

As much as he wanted to take a moment to make sure Nishinoya was okay, he knew that they didn’t have the time for it. The zombies were piling up on the roof of the car, beginning to claw at the ladder. They attempted to climb it, and although they seemed to be having trouble, god knows how long it’d take for one to scale it.

As soon as Nishinoya was safely on the first level of the fire escape, Tanaka began climbing the second ladder. After helping Nishinoya to his feet, Asahi adjusted Natsu on his back. He then began clambering up after Tanaka.

He couldn’t get the look on Nishinoya’s face out of his head. As he took his hand, helping to pull him up onto the fire escape, he’d locked eyes with the libero. The wide golden eyes that had stared back at him were filled with pure fear.

They quickly made it up to the third fire escape, before Tanaka smashed in the window. After taking a quick look inside, he jumped in, taking Natsu from Asahi’s hold. Asahi climbed in afterwards, followed by Nishinoya. 

There was a dull clang as Nishinoya dropped his bat. Immediately after jumping into the window, he dropped down in a kneel, desperately trying to pry the zombie’s hand off his ankle. Each breath came fast, obviously panicked. His hands shook as he tried to pry the fingers from their place, but his hysteria prevented him from getting anywhere.

A stab of protectiveness shot through Asahi. Without a second thought, he crouched down, gently pushing Nishinoya’s hands away. He realized that Nishinoya’s hands were cold and clammy, his pale skin covered by thin layer of sweat. Their faces were close as Asahi leaned in- close enough for Asahi to be able to feel Nishinoya’s hair, dampened with a mixture of sweat and the humidity of the air.

Without another word, Asahi began working the fingers loose. The skin on the hand was putrid, blackened and stiff and clinging to the bone. It had a smooth, oily feel to it, even though it had a wrinkled texture. Despite Asahi’s natural squeamishness with things like this, he began breaking the bones, zero hesitation present in his movements. It were as if he were breaking twigs rather than the bones of a human hand.

Within seconds, Asahi was able to pull the hand off. He threw it out the window, hoping to god that he’d never touch such a vile thing again.

In front of him, Nishinoya looked up. Asahi hadn’t realized how close they were- their noses nearly brushed. Asahi could see the vague darkness under Nishinoya’s eyes, the way some of his hair stuck to the side of his face, glued there by sweat. Asahi could see the details in Nishinoya’s eyes; the darkened bronze-nearly black- that rimmed the outside of his iris, fading to a vibrant gold towards the center. Small flecks of the bronze color were dispersed throughout the gold as well. 

They stared at eachother for a few seconds. Nishinoya’s breathing slowly evened to soft little puffs as his hysteria faded. After a few seconds, Nishinoya spoke.

“Thanks, Asahi…” He croaked, voice hoarse.

Asahi blinked, watching as Nishinoya propped his hands on his knees and slowly stood. A hand was offered to him, and he took it gratefully. Nishinoya tugged, helping him up.

“Yeah, no problem…” Asahi replied softly, staring down at Nishinoya.

The other stared for a moment, before he turned away. His gaze scanned the inside of the building, assessing the place. As Asahi turned to follow Nishinoya’s line of sight, he took in his surroundings.

Inside, it was dark. Dust drifted through the air, turning the light that streamed in through the windows into illuminated rays. The bookcases and desks indicated that it had once been an office of some sort, although a lot of it was in a disarray. Papers were scattered everywhere, and some cabinets were tipped. A cup of coffee on a desk had developed a film over it, with some flies floating at the top, having drowned in it.

It was oddly quiet here. Despite the zombies that groaned outside, it was somewhat peaceful in here. However, the stagnancy of the air, mixed with the mustiness of the place, didn’t help Asahi relax at all.

They walked over to the far corner of the room, where a ray of light shone in from the window. Tanaka had carefully placed Natsu down against the wall. Her small, stained stuffed animal rested in her lap, its ears flopped over limply. Asahi trailed after, hanging back slightly as Nishinoya continued, falling to a crouch beside Tanaka. 

After a few seconds, Asahi took a few steps closer, watching as Nishinoya reached out, gently nudging the fabric of her shirt to the side to inspect the wound. She gave a soft whimper, though she opened her eyes, fixing Nishinoya with a frightened gaze. She made no move to stop him. 

Blood had seeped through the strip of fabric that Nishinoya had wrapped around the wound as a makeshift bandage. It was an odd color, though- not quite black, but certainly much darker than normal blood.

The libero was silent for a moment. Tanaka glanced over at him, worry etched into his features. After a few seconds, Nishinoya finally spoke. “We need some kind of antiseptic.” He said quietly, getting to his feet. “And bandages. Also, if we can find any painkillers, that’d be great, too.” 

Asahi and Tanaka both stared at Nishinoya with a look of confusion. What was he talking about? Why would he need those things?

Realization seemed to slowly creep onto Tanakas face. The other second year stood slowly, a disturbed look on his face as he walked after Nishinoya, who seemed to decide to start looking for the supplies he’d listed off. “Noya, no,” He croaked out. Asahi watched as Nishinoya turned around, fixing Tanaka with his furious glare. 

“What do you mean, no?” He growled out, backing away. “We need to patch her up. She’ll die!” His eyes were narrowed, glittering with determination. However, Asahi could see an underlying desperation- he looked almost like a cornered animal.

Asahi slowly began to realize what was going on. He felt his heart sink, chills running down his back.

_ He’s trying to save Natsu. _

_ He’s in denial of the fact that she was doomed the second she was bitten. _

Tanaka looked pained, as though he didn’t want to tell Nishinoya otherwise. 

Asahi took a step forward. “Noya-san…” He mumbled.

Nishinoya’s gaze landed on Asahi. He could see the denial-driven hysteria rising in his eyes. “No,” He choked out. “Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. I’m not. We can save her. We just- we just need-” 

“Noya.”

Asahi’s soft murmur cut off Nishinoya’s incoherent words. He looked up at Asahi, eyes filled with a deep sorrow. Nishinoya knew that they couldn’t save her. He knew it, deep in his heart, and yet he refused to give up. He refused to believe that it was over. Because if she was still alive now, then there was still a chance. Nothing was impossible until she was dead.

Except… it was impossible. She was already a dead girl. There was no saving her. Her life was too far out of reach- too far for even Nishinoya, the legendary guardian deity of Karasuno, to save.

Nishinoya turned away, balling his fists up tightly. His shoulders shook, and Asahi could tell that he was near the breaking point. Someone as strong as Nishinoya shouldn’t be able to break; he was trying so hard not to. Still, it was evident that even he could snap under the pressure.

Asahi was ready to step forward, to take Nishinoya’s hand in his own and squeeze it, to let him know that he was not alone. He didn’t have to bear the strain himself like he was used to. None of this was his fault, so he didn’t have to blame himself.

However, just as he decided to do this, Nishinoya straightened his back. His shoulders slowly relaxed, the shake leaving him. “I’m going to go look for some bandages.” He said quietly, his voice much clearer than it’d been a few seconds ago.

Asahi and Tanaka exchanged concerned looks, but neither protested. Nishinoya walked off, picking his baseball bat off the floor where he’d dropped it after coming in, before disappearing into the shadows.

With a soft sigh, Asahi turned, walking back to Natsu. Of course, he was concerned about Nishinoya. But he also knew that Natsu needed someone to stay with her. Tanaka looked ready to jump after Nishinoya anyways, so after casting the second year a small nod, the spiker turned, darting after Nishinoya.

Asahi walked back towards Natsu. Her gaze was cast downwards, one hand resting on top of the lion plushie. The other lay limp beside her leg. It was her left arm- the same side that the bite was. Asahi tried not to look at it as he sat down against the wall beside her.

“So, Hinata Natsu, right?” Asahi asked softly. The girl stiffened slightly, before giving a small nod.

“Mhm.” She hummed hoarsely.

Asahi smiled warmly. “How old are you?”

She hesitated, before shifting slightly, turning to look in Asahi’s direction but not directly at him. “I’m seven.” She mumbled. “I’m in first grade.”

“First grade?” Asahi echoed, feigning surprise. “That’s crazy. I would have thought you were  _ at least _ third grade.”

At this, she smiled a little. “N-no. Just first grade.” She said sheepishly.

With a small laugh, Asahi fell quiet for a moment. Then, his gaze fell on the tattered lion that she held in her lap. “That’s Rai, right?” He asked curiously. “Is he yours?”

Natsu looked down at the lion, brightening slightly. “Mhm.” She hummed. “He’s my best friend. I’ve had him since forever.” She paused, lifting it with her good hand, hugging it close. “Mom gave him to me a few years ago.” 

“Did she?” Asahi mused, tilting his head slightly. He tucked a lock of brown hair behind his ear. “That was nice of her. He’s very handsome.”

She beamed at this. “He is.” She kissed the top of its head, before lowering it back down into her lap. She stroked it absently with her thumb, eyeing it fondly.

Asahi leaned back, letting his head rest against the wall. “I’m friends with your brother.” He commented, tilting his head slightly to cast her a warm glance.

“Shoyo?” She asked, turning to Asahi. Her eyes were wide. “Do you know where he is?” For the first time since he met her, she seemed… alive.

Nodding quickly, Asahi sat up straighter. “Y-yes! He’s back at the school. He’s safe, don’t worry!”

Natsu’s eyes glittered with a sudden happiness. She gave Asahi a wide, toothy grin. He noticed that she was missing a canine tooth- it was just growing in, looking just like a little shark tooth. 

“Me ‘n mom were looking for him.” She admitted. “He never came home. We knew he didn’t become a zombie. We knew it!” She giggled softly, looking much more relaxed than before.

“Yeah, he’s safe! He’s staying with us and some other members of the volleyball team. He’s back at the school right now.” Asahi explained. Warmth filled his heart- the girl’s expression made him feel more at ease. He hadn’t realized how tense he was.

“That’s good.” She smiled warmly. She fidgeted against the wall, playing with the hem of her shirt. “Mom would be happy.”

Asahi glanced at Natsu. Unease tingled in his chest, but he asked anyways. “Where is she now?”

Natsu’s hands stilled on the fabric of her shirt. She was quiet for a few seconds, before speaking. “She went to go take a nap in a car.” Natsu mumbled. “She told me I needed to go into the town and look for Shoyo.”

The words sent a bad feeling through Asahi. That just… did not sound right. At all.

However, Natsu continued. “It’s because…” She began, voice growing hoarse. “I think she was bitten. She was acting funny.” She shook her head quickly. “M-maybe… she just wanted to sleep. She was tired because she was bitten! And I needed to be strong, I needed to come to the town to find Shoyo for her.”

She turned to Asahi, fixing him with a small grin as she leaned in a little. “But I found you three! And you know that Shoyo is safe, so I think Mom would be happy about that!” Asahi could now see the desperation in her eyes as tears slipped down over her cheeks once more. “It makes me happy too! He’s alive!”

That was all she cared about. That her brother was safe, and that her mother was happy. Asahi could feel the sorrow welling up deep within his heart- oh, he only wished that he could bring Natsu back to the school. Let her see her brother one last time, to prove to her that he was okay. And to let her say the final goodbye that was denied from her the second this cursed outbreak began.

However, the zombies were still surrounding the building. And even if they  _ did _ manage to escape, they would never get back to the school in time. From what Asahi had seen, people usually turned into zombies within about three hours of being bitten. In Natsu’s case, it might even happen quicker, since she was so small.

“Y-yeah.” Asahi choked out. He managed a small, forced smile, lifting his hand to brush Natsu’s hair back. He could feel the heat radiating from her skin already- a fever had begun to set in. “I’ll let him know I saw you, okay?”

She nodded, smiling brightly. “Yeah!” She exclaimed. “What’s your name?”

Swallowing thickly, he replied, “Azumane Asahi.”

Natsu gave a small sound of awe, similar to the kind that Hinata made when someone did something cool. “You’re the ace!” She gasped. “Shoyo talked about you a lot! He really wants to surpass you and become the next ace!” 

“Does he?” Asahi asked, swallowing back his sorrow. No, he couldn’t let it take over him now. He wasn’t the one dying. “I’m sure he will. Your brother is amazing.”

Natsu nodded enthusiastically. “Mhm! He practices a lot!” She chirped. Suddenly, though, her expression turned comically sour. “But he never has time to play hide ‘n seek with me anymore.” She pouted.

Giving a soft laugh, Asahi replied, “I’m sure he doesn’t mean to skip out on hide and seek. He’s probably very busy.”

Brightening slightly, Natsu replied, “Yep! I know!” She exclaimed. Then, her expression darkened slightly. Her shoulders tensed, and she curled in on herself, drawing her knees up.

“Natsu?” Asahi asked, worry suddenly spiking within his chest. He leaned over, holding out his hand worriedly, allowing it to hover over her shoulder slightly. 

“M-m’head… hurts….” She mumbled. She covered her lower face with one hand, using her other to wrap around her shins, pulling her legs tight against herself. 

“O-oh, uh,” Asahi mumbled, lowering his voice slightly. “Try to relax, okay? Close your eyes. It’ll help.” In all honesty, Asahi knew very little about the virus. He had no idea that she’d get a fever, or a headache, or anything really. He did know, however, that this was only the beginning. From here, it’d only get worse.

“Okay, Asahi-san.” Natsu mumbled. She closed her eyes, wincing slightly. After a few seconds, she reached over, taking Asahi’s hand in her own. She squeezed it tightly, her fingers trembling. They were unnaturally warm against his skin. 

He squeezed it back. Her hand was so tiny in comparison to his own. She was too small, too fragile- he couldn’t believe that she’d been all alone. If only they’d found her a little sooner, if only they’d run into her on their way into the town- maybe she would have lived. Maybe she could have been sitting on Asahi’s shoulders right about now, grinning about the prospect of being reunited with her brother as they made their way back to the school. Then, a girl so young wouldn’t be worried about dying. About succumbing to the virus that would turn her into a walking corpse. 

_ If only, _ Asahi thought,  _ we could have saved her. _

He didn’t realize that he was crying. He could feel the tears that dampened his cheeks, the slight shake in his hand. He steadied it- he needed to be strong. For Natsu’s sake. 

They remained quiet for another minute or so. Then, in the gloom, two figures moved. Asahi watched as Nishinoya and Tanaka returned- in his hand, Nishinoya held a small box. It was a first aid kit, indicated by the white plastic case with a large red plus sign on the front of it. 

Asahi shifted, moving out of the way as Nishinoya knelt down. He flipped open the white case, shuffling through the supplies. He picked out a bottle of antiseptic and set it to the side, and then opened a package of sterile gauze. He tipped the bottle slightly on it, dampening the gauze with the chemicals, before reaching out to gently dab at the wound. Natsu whimpered slightly, but made no move to protest.

Meanwhile, Tanaka went to the window, peeking out. “Some of the zombies left.” He observed. “Most of them are still there, though. We definitely won’t be leaving the same way we came.”

With a huff, Nishinoya replied gruffly, “We’ll find a back door or something.” He didn’t look up from what he was doing. He was working quickly, but not carelessly. Antiseptic first, then antibiotic ointment, and then bandaging. Each movement was precise, as though he’d done it a thousand times before.

Still, Nishinoya seemed off. He could see it in Nishinoya’s shoulders; he was tense. His face was calm but Asahi knew him better than that. Evidently, Tanaka knew Nishinoya was off, too- he seemed agitated, not remaining in one place at a time, constantly pacing. He kept casting concerned, conflicted looking glances at Nishinoya. It seemed that he had something he wanted to say, but was reluctant to for whatever reason.

Nishinoya’s front, as usual, was for someone else’s benefit. In this case, it was for Natsu. Asahi and Tanaka could tell that he was more stressed than he let on because they both knew Nishinoya rather well. Natsu didn’t even know Nishinoya- as far as she knew, this was just the way he always acted. 

Asahi knew better. He knew that something was  _ very _ wrong with the energetic libero. Someone like him- who, no matter what the circumstance, could put on a brave face and laugh in the face of opposition- was having a hard time keeping it together. He’d never seen Nishinoya like this. 

His earlier outburst had proven that this, in fact, might be Nishinoya’s breaking point.

Because he believed that he’d failed. He believed that the girl’s untimely demise would be a result of his mistake. That mindset was definitely enough to break someone- even the steadfast Karasuno star libero and guardian deity, Nishinoya Yuu. 

The last piece of tape was pressed into place. Nishinoya leaned back slightly, inspecting his work, before giving Natsu a warm smile. “There! Feel any better?” He asked, reaching out to ruffle her hair fondly.

The redhead smiled softly, but it didn’t reach her clouded eyes. “A little,” She mumbled. “Thank you, Noya-san.” 

Asahi had to admit, the bandaging work that Nishinoya had done was immaculate. It was neat, with no wrinkles or folds, running from beneath Natsu’s armpit to cover most of her upper collar area. No blood seeped through, despite the severity of the wound.

“No problem.”  He grinned. With that, he stood, walking to the window that Tanaka was leaning against uneasily. He looked outside, narrowing his eyes slightly. Asahi couldn’t tell what he was thinking- for all he knew, Nishinoya could have been debating whether or not to jump out the window right about now. 

After a few seconds, Nishinoya sighed heavily, turning away. After the briefest look of exhaustion- one that was there for hardly a second, if at all- the libero grinned brightly. He dropped down to sit beside Natsu against the wall again, his legs crossed indian-style beneath him. The light that spilled in only reached up to his mid-chest, making the dark, rotted blood that was splattered across his clothes and hands clearly visible. 

From then on, they sought to pass some time. The zombies wouldn’t disperse just yet, Asahi assumed, and besides… they weren’t going to take Natsu with them. But that didn’t mean that they would just leave her here, either.

As sick as the thought made Asahi feel, he knew that killing Natsu before she turned was the most merciful thing that they could do for her.

But not yet. That was for later. Right now, they could just enjoy the time they spent with her, despite how quickly her condition deteriorated. 

Asahi shuffled closer. When Tanaka plopped down beside him, they created a small circle, with Natsu and Nishinoya sitting back up against the wall and Asahi and Tanaka on the outside. They chatted about things from before the world ended; it was nostalgic. They talked mostly about Natsu, let her talk about her life and her brother and the events in her life.

She was a relatively normal girl. She liked coloring in coloring books of animals and hanging them up in places that she wasn’t supposed to. She loved playing hide and seek, and she always hid in the same places, but Shoyo made sure to act surprised every time he found her. She never killed the spiders she found, instead picking them up and releasing them outside. 

But in other ways, she wasn’t normal. She was incredibly unique. Despite her outwardly sweet demeanor, she had a certain type of spirit to her. She doesn’t accept things that annoyed her- she talked about how, when Shoyo was too loud or did something weird, she would berate him. How she stood up fiercely to the school bullies when they picked on her friends, or for kids she’d never met before. She was bold, she was brave, she was kind-

She didn’t deserve to die.

_ Stop it, Asahi. You can’t think like this. Not right now. She’s still alive. _

As the time progressed, Natsu become more and more sickly. Her fever had gone up- now, her skin was clammy and pale, tinged just faintly green. Her eyes were tired and dazed, as though she hadn’t slept in days, her pupils dilated. Her body shook and trembled, and it seemed like she was getting the chills rather frequently.

There was no doubt that the virus was taking hold.

Nishinoya and Tanaka, of course, knew this too. The latter’s eyes were filled with a deep pity, a sorrow for the girl whose life was cut much too short. Nishinoya still smiled at her, his grin bright on his face- while it was partly genuine, there was an underlying tension to it. A deep, buried panic and helplessness because there was just nothing they could do.

They could only watch without interfering as the girl they’d fought to save died right in front of them. Asahi had never felt so useless before- not even in volleyball, not even in his academics, not ever. No- this was on a whole other level of uselessness. Asahi only wished he could made a deal with god himself so that he could take Natsu’s place, so that she could live on, so that she could see her brother again. 

But no god in this world was merciless enough to grant such a wish. Any gods that Asahi may have once believed in were dead. He could only curse this world, curse what’d it become, and drop any and all semblance of faith that remained. 

_ This,  _ Asahi decided as he watched Natsu shake as chills wracked her body,  _ is what happens when a god turns its back on its world. _

* * *

 

About two hours had passed when Natsu began to cry.

The fever had peaked to over 105 degrees. Her skin was covered in sweat, her complexion a sickly translucent white. Veins just beneath the surface had already begun darkening, indicating a stagnancy as the virus clotted the blood inside. Her breathing was shallow, desperate.

The tears fell from exhausted eyes. She sobbed softly, her whimpers hoarse and broken. 

“A-am I… going to die?” She whispered, slowly looking up. Her desperate, fevered gaze met with each of the three, searching for an answer. 

None of them wanted to tell her the answer to that question.

Tanaka’s gaze darkened slightly, and he took a deep, shuddering breath, closing his eyes tightly. He’d stood up at some point to continue his pacing, but now he’d stilled, facing Natsu.

Nishinoya clenched his fists tightly. He stared at Natsu with wide eyes- he had a look of desperation and helplessness. Asahi could almost see the gears working in his head, trying to find a way around this, to find some kind of solution. Some way to save her. One last effort to deny the inevitable. 

Asahi himself had accepted it. He would never be okay with this- oh, god, no. This was hellish. But he could not deny the cruelty of this world anymore. He accepted that Natsu dying like this was the final act of inhumanity that destroyed his faith in the gods.

He hated his own hopelessness. But it wasn’t unwarranted.

“It’s okay, Natsu.” Asahi mumbled softly. He avoided her stare as he shifted closer, taking her into his arms. She pressed up against him, trembling and crying, her skin simmering beneath Asahi’s hands. “It’s alright. Don’t worry, okay?”

He could feel Nishinoya staring at him, his eyes alight with outrage.  _ How can you tell her its alright? _ He could imagine the libero demanding.  _ How can you tell her not to worry when she’s dying, Asahi? How can you lie to her like that? _

Asahi wanted to respond with,  _ What else can I tell her? _ But he didn’t. He made no move to answer Nishinoya’s unvoiced questions. All he did was turn away, holding Natsu close, remaining still and quiet as she cried into his chest.

It was too soon that her breathing became shallower and shallower. It was too soon that her cries faded to small sniffles, and then nothing. It was too soon that she was unconscious, limp and nearly lifeless in asahi’s arms.

It was too soon that he found the little daisy that had been tucked behind her ear by someone after brushing her damp hair out of her face, its silky white petals stained with dark red splotches. He reached over and removed it, placing it in her hand and curling her fingers around it.

It was too soon that her breaths finally ceased, and her heart forever stopped. She still lay in Asahi’s lap, her skin still on fire, even if the flame of her soul had been extinguished.

It was too soon that Asahi picked her up, placing her gently against the wall in the ray of late afternoon sunshine that still streamed in through the window. Here, she looked young, sleeping, despite the sunkenness of her eyes and the purplish tinge to the edges of her face and fingertips. 

It was too soon that Asahi picked up the discarded lion plushie before he and Nishinoya backed away, catching one last glimpse of the girl damned by the world while Tanaka clicked the safety off on the semi-automatic.

Seemingly on cue, a cloud rolled past, covering the sun and enveloping the room in darkness as Tanaka took aim. Then, a shot rang out clear and loud, crackling through the building like thunder through a silent forest. 

The echoes resided, and the place was once again silent. Asahi’s ears rung, although everything was numb. His senses, his body, his mind- he felt nothing. All he did in this moment was  _ exist- _ and even then, it was questionable. He certainly didn’t feel like he existed.

Asahi wasn’t quite sure how much time had passed. He figured he’d dissociated, but it couldn’t have been for too long. However, when he finally looked up, he could see the white of Nishinoya’s shirt as he strode off into the gloom of the other end of the office. Despite the shadows, it was clear that Nishinoya was very, very tense. This could mean nothing good.

Still, he figured that if Nishinoya wanted some time to himself, it would be best if he was left alone.

After a moment, Tanaka approached, coming to Asahi’s side. He’d just put a plastic tablecloth over Natsu’s body, concealing the no-doubt gory mess that’d become of her.

With a soft sigh, Tanaka ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t think I’ve ever done anything more awful than that.” He mumbled, voice uncharacteristically quiet and solemn. 

Nodding, Asahi patted the spiker’s back. “You did the best thing for her. She won’t become one of them now.” He murmured. He surprised himself with how clear his voice was- was he really that emotionless now?

Tanaka shrugged half-heartedly. After a few seconds, he glanced up, in the direction that Nishinoya had walked off in. “He left, huh?” He asked, glancing at Asahi.

“Yeah. I think he needs some time to himself.”

Tanaka hummed quietly, not quite agreeing. Asahi noticed that he looked a bit concerned. 

“Is something wrong?” Asahi asked, turning slightly to face Tanaka. The spiker obviously had something on his mind.

After a short hesitation, Tanaka sighed. “I figure I can tell you, since Noya considers you to be pretty close.” He admitted.  _ Nishinoya thinks we’re close? _ Asahi thought, the news shocking him slightly. However, he didn’t have time to muse over it, because Tanaka continued talking.

“When we were off looking for first aid stuff, Noya told me that he saw the zombie bite Natsu.” He sighed. “He was only seconds too late. He thinks that it was his fault, because he should have run faster. Should have spent less time talking and more time doing… y’know?”

Asahi nodded slowly. Yes, he knew all too well of the feeling of not being able to do enough. The regret in the fact that he should have worked harder, should have jumped higher, should have hit harder.

Tanaka continued. “Noya, well… I guess you can say that he’s afraid of helplessness. He’s afraid of failing the people around him. In this case, he really thinks that it was his fault that Natsu was bitten.”

That much was clear. Asahi could relate to the feeling, although he figured that since Nishinoya had seen Natsu get bitten right in front of him, it must have been much, much worse. “What’s the point of telling me this? I kind of guessed that much.” Asahi asked, trying his best to keep his bitterness out of his voice. It wasn’t working too well.

Taking a deep breath, Tanaka replied, “What I’m  _ saying _ is that I’m worried about him. I’m worried about him doing something stupid again because a frustrated and upset Noya is a stupid Noya.”

“What do you mean?” Asahi couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something that Tanaka wasn’t telling him. There was a reason he included ‘again’ in that sentence.

The spiker was about to reply when there was a loud shout somewhere in the building. 

_ “Damnit!” _

Following it was a loud crash, and another, and another.

Casting one glance at eachother, Tanaka and Asahi took off running towards the direction of the sound. “Downstairs,” Tanaka hummed beside him, and took the lead. He lead the way to the staircase, very nearly jumping down them, before bursting through the double doors that lead to the second floor. Asahi quickly followed. 

They followed the sounds of crashing to see Nishinoya smash a glass cubicle divider with his bare fist. The glass shattered, sending crystalline daggers skidding across the floor. He was about to go for the next one when Tanaka ran up behind him and hooked his arms beneath the libero’s.

Nishinoya’s instinctual reaction was to fight.

“Let me go!” He snarled. He kicked out, nailing Tanaka in the knee with his heel, and the spiker grunted. “Let go, Ryuu! Just fuckin’ let go!”

“Cut it out, Yuu!” Tanaka snapped back. Asahi took a step back as Tanaka hauled the writhing libero back, away from the broken glass, before throwing him to the ground. The smaller boy hit the tile hard, but wasted no time in scrambling to his feet.

Nishinoya was breathing hard, his eyes wide in hysteria. His hair was disheveled, and he was trembling. Blood dripped slowly from a few cuts on his face, but there was a lot more blood staining his shirt.  _ Where is it all coming from? _ Asahi wondered worriedly, before his gaze landed on Nishinoya’s hands.

They were almost completed red. Covered in blood from numerous gashes, clear glass still embedded in his skin. The scratches traveled all the way up his arms, although the worst of it was undoubtedly his hands. They were shaking, and it didn’t look like he was able to move his fingers. Blood dripped off his knuckles at an alarming rate, splotching the floor with crimson.

“Why did you stop me!?” Nishinoya snarled at Tanaka. His eyes were alight with a fury derived from his own helplessness and his frustration with himself. 

“Look at yourself, Yuu! You’re going to kill yourself at this rate!” Tanaka shot back, taking a step closer to Nishinoya. The smaller boy instinctively took a step back, his heel crunching on glass. “I had to stop you. You know that!”

Asahi winced as Nishinoya managed to clench his fist, some small shards of glass dropping to the floor from his hand. “I might as well, then!” He snapped. “If I can’t save one little girl who was right in front of me, then what’s the point? Why should I keep living when she can’t? It’s my fault, I’m the one to blame! So just blame me already!”

Tanaka looked ready to reply, but Asahi pushed past him. He wasn’t sure what possessed him in that moment, but he’d had enough. This was the one person who Asahi always considered to be an immovable pillar of support, someone that everyone could fall back on. Everyone could rely on Nishinoya. If there was one person left standing, it would always be Karasuno’s guardian deity. He always had faith that they could make the impossible possible when nobody else did.

Asahi was not going to let Nishinoya give up like this.

In one fluid motion, he reeled back, then slugged Nishinoya clear across the face.

The libero hadn’t seen it coming- maybe, if it was Tanaka swinging at him, he would have. But Asahi? The gentle ace, who could never so much as hurt a fly? This was probably the last thing he expected. Honestly, it was the last thing Asahi would have expected himself to do, too.

Nishinoya’s head snapped to the side. He fell to the floor, managing to catch himself with one arm. His other shot up to touch his face. His eyes were wide, filled with shock at what had just happened. He didn’t move, although his arms quaked under the strain of his injuries and emotions.

Of course, Asahi felt bad for doing that. He realized that he probably could have maybe slapped Nishinoya instead- something less painful- but Nishinoya did need the shock to get him back to his senses.

Asahi kneeled down beside Nishinoya. He took the libero’s shoulders in his hands firmly, making sure that he wouldn’t try to run away or anything. 

“Noya, don’t you  _ dare _ talk like that.” Asahi growled out, voice low. Nishinoya’s eyes were still wide as he turned, fixing Asahi with his gaze- they’d lost the hysteria they held earlier. Now, he just looked like he was in pure shock. But he was listening.

“Natsu’s death was… it was horrible. It shouldn’t have happened.” Asahi began, voice wavering slightly. He could feel emotion bubbling up in his chest, threatening to spill out in the form of words. “I think that we could have saved her. You could have.”

He watched as Nishinoya’s gaze fell, eyebrows furrowing, but Asahi tightened his grip on Nishinoya’s shoulders.

“Look at me, Noya!”

His gaze met Asahi’s again, but he did not speak.

With a deep breath, Asahi continued. “But you didn’t  _ know _ that. You didn’t  _ know _ that you were going to be a second too late. If you knew that, then you could have saved her. But you  _ didn’t. _ And that’s not your fault.”

Nishinoya was silent, simply staring at Asahi, his gaze filled with sorrow. 

“You can’t save everyone. None of us can. There’s going to be accidents, there’s going to be tragedies, and we can’t stop them. That’s just- that’s just the way things are now. That’s just the way things have always been. You know?”

After a few seconds, Nishinoya slowly nodded. He swallowed thickly, but made no move to speak.

“We need you, Noya. None of us blame you for not being able to save Natsu. Although…” He paused, narrowing his eyes slightly. Nishinoya straightened slightly under Asahi’s stare. “We  _ will _ blame you for giving up like that when we have an entire  _ team _ waiting for us back at the school.” 

Tanaka leaned in as a short silence elapsed. “Y-yeah,” He managed, eyes a little wide as he glanced at Asahi with a look of pure shock. “Not cool, bro.” 

Asahi nodded. “You hear me, Noya?” When the libero didn’t respond, he said a little louder, “Noya.”

The libero blinked, as though just realizing that Asahi was asking him a question. “I- yeah, yes! I hear you.” He stammered. He still seemed to very much be in shock at Asahi’s uncharacteristic resolve. 

With a sigh, Asahi slowly released Nishinoya’s shoulders. The libero made no move to run away, but he was still staring at Asahi as if he’d grown another head.

Now that the adrenaline began to fade, Asahi felt a familiar nervousness prickle deep in his chest. “Uh,” He began awkwardly, now unsure of what to say.  _ Shit, I’ve never done this before, what do you do after stuff like this!? _ He reached out, gently taking Nishinoya’s wrist and pulling his hand away from his face. “I didn’t… punch you too hard, did I?”

Nishinoya blinked, before allowing Asahi to lower his hand away from his face.

_ Oh god I actually hurt him. _

Nishinoya’s upper cheek, just beneath his eye, was swollen. There was a small gash across it, slowly oozing blood that had smudged on his skin.

Beside him, Tanaka whistled. “Damn, Asahi. Never woulda’ thought you had it in ya.” He drawled. He seemed more amused than anything.

Asahi ignored him. Guilt knotted thickly in his stomach as he stared at the wound he caused. “Oh, god, Noya, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have punched you so-”

“Nah, it’s okay.” Nishinoya interrupted, his voice slowly gaining back some of its usual brightness. It was still a bit shaky, though.

He waved a bloody hand at Asahi dismissively. “I’m… kind of glad you did. I was acting a bit ridiculous, wasn’t I?” He laughed sheepishly, although Asahi knew that he probably felt guilty for having let his two friends see him in such a hysterical state. 

Asahi hummed softly, not convinced. However, Tanaka just snorted. “Ridiculous is an understatement, bro. You were going apeshit on that innocent glass.” He took Nishinoya’s wrist, pulling the smaller boy up.

The libero whined softly, wincing in pain. He swayed on his feet a little before regaining his balance. Still, though, he managed to cast Tanaka a strained grin. “I punching air. The glass just happened to get in the way.” He joked, despite the obvious pain he was in. 

Rising to his feet, Asahi gave a soft sigh. “We should bandage up those cuts, and then leave soon. It’s going to get dark quickly.” He advised the two second years. He looked out the window- by now, clouds had swept in. It was impossible to tell what time it was, or how close to sunset it may be.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Tanaka agreed. Nishinoya only gave a small nod, and the trio headed back upstairs.

Halfway up the stairs, though, Nishinoya seemed to lose his balance. He tipped forwards, his eyes a bit hazy, and Asahi had to reach out to grab his shoulder and steady him.

“Noya?” Asahi began worriedly. “Are you okay?” This caught Tanaka’s attention, and he turned, glancing down at Asahi and Nishinoya curiously.

The libero nodded. “Yeah, m’fine.” He mumbled. Asahi noted that his skin was very pale. His muscles seemed to be trembling with the effort of moving- Asahi figured that he’d lost too much blood.

“I don’t think so.” Asahi sighed. He stepped closer, scooping the smaller boy into his arms, carrying him bridal style. The libero whined softly, but made no move to fight. He simply let his head loll against Asahi’s shoulder, eyes closing in exhaustion.

Above him, Tanaka snorted. Asahi looked up at him, frowning slightly. “What?” He asked. Was something funny?

Tanaka simply shook his head, smiling. “It’s nothing. C’mon, the idiot’s gonna bleed out by the time we get upstairs.”

Asahi got the feeling that it wasn’t exactly  _ nothing. _ But Asahi knew better than to prod.

With a sigh, he followed Tanaka as he lead the way upstairs once more.

In his arms, Nishinoya was quiet. His breaths were soft, unlabored, and he looked surprisingly peaceful despite the pallor of his skin and the blood and bruises that contrasted sharply against it. All intensity aside, Nishinoya looked very child-like. 

Huffing slightly, Asahi walked through the doors that Tanaka held for him, before leaning down to place the smaller boy up against the wall. He blinked his eyes open, the gold of his irises clouded by a delirious haze.

As Tanaka walked off to retrieve the first aid kit, Asahi sat down in front of Nishinoya. The other stared at him, before giving him a wide smile. “Asahi?” He asked lightly.

Asahi glanced up at him sheepishly. His eyes kept traveling to the bruise he’d caused on Nishinoya’s face, and he felt a stab of guilt each time. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Thanks.”

Frowning slightly, Asahi asked, “For what? Punching you in the face?” He couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice. He felt awful about what he did. What was he thinking!?

The libero scoffed softly. “Actually, yeah. Because it helped.” He explained. At Asahi’s disbelieving look, he continued. “It did, seriously. Yeah, it hurts a bit, but it helped to clear my mind a little. Because what you said made sense.” He was staring at Asahi with his familiar intensity behind clouded eyes.

It was comforting. A welcome replacement for the broken hopelessness that had been there earlier. “O-oh. Well, I’m glad to have helped, then.” Asahi mumbled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck self consciously. “Still, though, I shouldn’t have punched you so hard…”

With a shrug, Nishinoya replied, “I don’t mind. I’ve been punched harder before.” At Asahi’s horrified look, the libero laughed. “Okay, okay, maybe not! But I’ve gotten into a few fights before. Getting a fist to the face is nothing new. Don’t worry about it!”

“That doesn’t make it any better!” Asahi exclaimed. Oh, god, was he just as bad as the jerks who got into fights with Nishinoya!?

Nishinoya laughed hoarsely, tilting his head back against the wall. It was then that Tanaka returned, dropping to a kneel beside Asahi as he placed the kit in front of him.

While Tanaka began taking out some supplies, Asahi carefully took one of Nishinoya’s hands. The other boy let him lift it and inspect it, although he visibly winced at every movement. Asahi could clearly see the glittering shards of glass that had gotten embedded in Nishinoya’s skin- no wonder it hurt so much for Nishinoya to move it. Asahi was surprised he wasn’t reacting to it more, actually.

“Hey, Tanaka, are there tweezers?” Asahi asked, glancing at the spiker. He hummed softly as he went through the kit, before pulling out the tool and handing it to Asahi.

With a soft sigh, Asahi turned, locking eyes with Nishinoya. “You’re going to have to stay still.” He warned. “It’s probably going to hurt taking the glass out.”

Nishinoya nodded. “No problem. I can handle it.” He boasted.

In truth, he couldn’t. Asahi ended up having Tanaka hold Nishinoya’s hand down against the floor because he kept flinching, and Asahi was worried that the glass would just get buried deeper. It was a grueling process, both because Asahi had to be careful in plucking the shards out and because Nishinoya was obviously in a lot of pain. Asahi had already punched Nishinoya in the face- the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Nishinoya more.

Still, though, he knew it had to be done. It took about a half an hour to get all of the glass out, and Nishinoya looked absolutely exhausted. He was breathing hard, his skin clammy, muscles trembling. Still, though, he flexed his hands, testing to see if he felt any more glass. Once he confirmed that it seemed like they’d gotten all of it, Asahi cleaned off the fresh blood that’d oozed out, and then bandaged Nishinoya’s hands. He put bandaids on the rest of the cuts on the libero’s arms, as well as the ones on his face. He put a particularly large one over the darkening bruise on Nishinoya’s left cheek.

Once that was done, they got their stuff together. Asahi retrieved Nishinoya’s bat for him, though he avoided looking at the sheet that covered Natsu’s body, which was now concealed in shadow. He felt as though it were staring at him, watching him from beneath the sheet, its gaze burning two holes deep into his skull.

But it wasn’t. Natsu was dead. It was only her corpse- one that they had made sure wouldn’t reanimate.

Asahi didn’t look back as he returned to Tanaka and Nishinoya.

Once they had all their supplies together, they made their way downstairs. Asahi had made sure to keep Rai with him- when the time comes, he needed to give it to Hinata.

By now, many of the zombies had dispersed. Of course, the majority were crowded around the car wreck that they’d used to climb to the fire escape. There didn’t seem to be any in the back of the building, though, so they used that door to make their escape.

“Let’s hurry,” Asahi whispered as he held the door for Tanaka and Nishinoya after confirming that this path was free of the undead.

The other two nodded. “We need to go back and get our backpacks, though. We left them on one of those back roads.” Tanaka reminded him quietly.

_ Shit, _ Asahi thought, remembering. They’d left all the supplies they’d gathered when they’d run off in search of the source of Natsu’s scream. After all they’d went through, they couldn’t return to the team empty handed.

“Alright,” Asahi whispered. “We’ll go get them, and then leave right away. The last thing we want is to be stuck out here after it gets dark.” 

Nishinoya and Tanaka nodded, and they set off at a jog back towards where they’d left their bags. They ran quietly, careful not to make any sounds, but Asahi couldn’t help but notice that Nishinoya was lagging slightly, his breaths heavy.

_ It’s because he lost too much blood. _ Asahi reasoned. He slowed down a moment to run beside Nishinoya. He felt the need to offer to help. “Noya, get on my back.” He whispered.

Nishinoya’s eyes flashed slightly. “No,” He panted. “I can run fine. Just keep going.” He said stubbornly.

Asahi sighed softly. “We’ll get there faster if I carry you. It’s fine, Noya, I don’t mind.”

After a brief pause, Nishinoya huffed, slowing carefully to a stop. “Fine.” He grumbled. He wrapped his arms around Asahi’s neck, pulling himself up as Asahi crouched down in front of him. He curled his legs around Asahi’s waist as soon as he stood up straight, breaking into a jog once more. “But only until we get out of town.” His voice was a soft mumble, right next to his ear.  

“Alright, fine.” Asahi responded. He slipped his arms behind Nishinoya’s knees, securing him in place. The libero wasn’t heavy at all- in fact, Asahi barely felt like he was even carrying him. He supposed that if he were to carry Nishinoya for a long distance, then he might get tired, but right now it wasn’t difficult at all. 

They managed to get to where they’d left their bags without incident. They stuck closer to the buildings, very nearly brushing up against the rough brick walls. Their steps were soft, gingerly placed so as to avoid stepping in glass or other debris that may make noise. Thankfully, it’d started to drizzle- it was no more than a heavy mist, really, but it was enough to help muffle sound.

Nishinoya hopped off Asahi’s back to pick up both his backpack. He grunted slightly at the effort of lifting it, swaying slightly on his feet, his face still strikingly pale. Asahi quickly reached out and steadied him with a careful hand on his shoulder.

“Uh, Noya?” Asahi attempted carefully. He forced himself to hold Nishinoya’s darkened stare as he looked up. “Maybe you should let me carry you a little further.”

Living up to his legendary stubbornness, Nishinoya turned away with a small scoff. “No.” He stated resolutely. “You’ve already done too much for me. I have to carry my own weight.” 

Tanaka leaned over behind Nishinoya, gently pushing on the back of his neck. The libero tipped easily, eyes widening as he lost his balance. He gave a startled yelp, although it was cut short as Asahi lunged to catch him. 

“Tanaka…” Asahi hummed, giving him a look that said,  _ Was that really necessary? _ It was, however, ignored.

Of course, Nishinoya was a little more offended. “Ryuu!” He exclaimed, whipping around. Asahi held onto him, since he could feel a lot of Nishinoya’s weight relying on his support, and if he let go then the other would surely topple over. “Not cool, bro!”

“Noya, shh!” Asahi chided. He realized that they were starting to get loud- after all, an angry Noya was not a quiet Noya. “And Tanaka, you too! Leave him alone.”

Feeling both pairs of eyes training on him suddenly, he flushed slightly, looking away.

“...Alright, mom.” Tanaka drawled. He hefted his backpack up on his shoulder, before picking up Asahi’s backpack as well. “Yuu, stop tryin’ to be all macho and just let Asahi carry you.”

After a short hesitation, Nishinoya finally sighed. “Fine.” He grumbled. He walked behind Asahi, placing his hands on the taller boy’s shoulders. In response, Asahi squatted slightly to make it easier for the libero to clamber on. 

Once Nishinoya was comfortably on his back, Asahi nodded to Tanaka, and together they began walking. The drizzle was cold in the spring air, although Nishinoya’s body pressed up against his back was warm. The other’s arms were draped over Asahi’s shoulders, his legs curled around his waist. His soft breaths were warm against Asahi’s ear, and the close proximity of the subject of his affections caused a blush to drift across his face.

They’d been walking for about twenty minutes in silence, before Nishinoya spoke, his voice unusually hushed.

“What do we tell Hinata?”

The question caused Asahi’s blood to chill within his veins. He could feel his heart plummet, realization slowly digging its frigid claws into his consciousness.  _ I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. _ He thought to himself, casting his gaze down to the pavement on which he walked. He wished he could melt down into the cracks in the blacktop, soak into the ground and return to the dust.

But he couldn’t avoid the question. It loomed over them darker than the clouds overhead, bleaker than the incoming night. They had two options; the could either tell Hinata about the events that’d preceded today, or pretend it had never happened.

Asahi couldn’t tell which one would be more humane.

Tanaka spoke up before Asahi did. “We need to tell him.” He growled out. “We can’t just keep it from him. It’s his little sister, for god’s sake!” He sounded almost annoyed that the question was even brought up, and Asahi couldn’t blame him.

But on the other hand, he felt that this might not be the best course of action. “How do you tell someone that you saw their little sister die?” He murmured quietly. He wasn’t quite sure if he was playing the devil’s advocate or if he truly believed in what he said.

Tanaka opened his mouth to reply, but Nishinoya cut him off. “I’ll tell him.” He offered. Asahi’s stomach knotted uncomfortably. He had a bad feeling- something in Nishinoya’s voice made him nervous about his motives behind volunteering for the undesirable task.

“We’ll all tell him.” Asahi agreed finally. “It’s not up to one person to tell someone something like that.” 

Nodding, Tanaka flashed Nishinoya a grin. “A bro’s gotta have a bro’s back, ya know?” He attempted, although his voice was a bit weak. It was settled then- they’d be telling Hinata about what had happened. It wouldn’t be a lie to say that Asahi was dreading the conversation- but it was a problem for future Asahi. Right now, he could postpone thinking about it.

Nishinoya fell suspiciously silent. It was concerning, in all honestly. For someone who talks a lot, silence is louder than any warning bells. Asahi knew that, despite their earlier talk, Nishinoya still blamed himself for Natsu’s death.

In truth, Asahi knew that it couldn’t be helped. It didn’t matter what he said- Natsu’s death would haunt Nishinoya for the rest of his life. It would certainly stick in Asahi’s mind, at least…

He could hear the soft, nearly inaudible sigh from Nishinoya a few seconds before he rested his forehead against the back of Asahi’s head. He didn’t dare turn to look at the smaller boy on his back so as to avoid disturbing him.

“Noya?” Asahi asked softly, his voice hushed. 

“Shh,” Nishinoya sounded sleepy, almost, although Asahi vaguely wondered if it were just the emotional exhaustion catching up to him. “Don’t talk. Okay?”

At another time, Asahi may have been offended. However, Nishinoya’s tone of voice, along with the day’s events and the way he leaned his head against his own, Asahi wasn’t insulted in the slightest. With a faint smile, Asahi hummed softly.

“Yeah. No problem.”

They walked in relative silence for the rest of the walk home. In the end, Asahi had carried Nishinoya the entire way back, although he wasn’t as tired as he thought he’d be. Sure, his muscles burned, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t handle that. He’d dealt with worse from Coach Ukai’s vicious practice regimes and penalty drills. 

They did run into a few zombies, which Tanaka took care of, and things went by without a hitch. By the time the wall surrounding the school came into view, the sky had darkened considerably, indicating the looming night.

From the roof, a figure seemed to take notice of the trio as they walked through the gate. They stood, waving their hand high in the air to acknowledge that they’d seen them, before disappearing somewhere out of sight. 

After Tanaka locked the gate behind them, they headed towards the main entrance. The building’s presence was a welcome sight after the stress of the day, and Asahi couldn’t wait to go back up to the classroom and read a book and forget all about what had happened today.

As they approached, Asahi noticed something odd. Tanaka seemed to notice as well, based on his narrowed eyes. 

“Was that car there this morning?” He asked, glancing at Asahi. 

With a thoughtful frown, Asahi thought back to this morning. Had there been a car? 

_ No, it wasn’t there this morning… _ He mused, staring at it. It was a small car- a black mustang, parked just in front of the main entrance. It may have been shiny at one point, but now, it was covered in small dents and splatters of windswept gore.

Before Asahi had a chance to answer, the door was pushed open. Daichi appeared, looking incredibly relieved to see them, followed by Suga. Another figure seemed to appear behind them, although they remained in the shadows, where it was too dark to see who it was.

“Asahi! Tanaka!” Daichi exclaimed. He leaned to the side slightly, peering over Asahi’s shoulder. “And...Noya, on Asahi’s back. Is he okay?”

As they approached, Nishinoya looked up. Asahi could feel him shift on his back, pushing himself away slightly in a silent request to get off. Asahi obliged by releasing his legs.

He gave the captain a peace sign as he slid off Asahi’s back. “Of course I’m okay. I just thought Asahi needed to exercise more.” He gave a boisterous laugh as he slapped Asahi’s back.  _ A seamless transition… _ Asahi mused to himself, casting a sidelong glance at the libero. He sported a wide, energetic grin, a drastic contrast to the expressions he’d worn earlier.  _ He’s too good at that. _

Evidently, Daichi didn’t believe him, based on how he cocked an eyebrow at Nishinoya skeptically. However, he made no comment. Beside him, Suga narrowed his eyes as he looked over his teammates. No doubt, he was trying to figure out whether the blood covering their clothes was from zombies or humans. Asahi knew that he’d be interrogated later, but for now he was grateful to postpone it.

“Well, I’m glad you all came back alive. I’ll take some of those backpacks for you,” Daichi offered, approaching. He took one of the backpacks from Tanaka, slinging it over his shoulder. Suga followed, taking Nishinoya’s, his perceptive gaze lingering on the layers of bandages adorning Nishinoya’s arms and the bandaids across his face. The libero made a point not to look at him- instead, he was looking at the figure leaning in the doorway, face shadowed by the gloom of the halls. 

“Who’s that?” He asked, not taking his gaze off the figure. It didn’t seem like it was anyone from the team, at least.

Daichi glanced back at the person, before turning back to the trio. “Ah, right, I forgot,” He began. He turned around again, gesturing at the figure. “Come here,” He beckoned.

The figure pushed off the doorframe, lazily walking over. Asahi recognized him as soon as the dim, overcast light hit his face. He hadn’t recognized him earlier because he wasn’t wearing clothes that Asahi was used to seeing him in- now, he wore a white tee shirt, with a dark brown leather bomber jacket layered over it, along with black skinny jeans and black Doc Martens. His signature hairstyle was ever present- spiked, jet black hair, something that made him stand out in a crowd. He had amber, nearly gold eyes that seemed to gleam in a way that was comparable to a cat’s eye. His lips were turned in a lazy, cocky side grin. He lifted his hand in a passive wave, the other hidden in the pocket of his jeans as he walked down the concrete steps of the school’s front entrance.

“Nekoma’s volleyball captain, Kuroo Tetsurou. He just got here from Tokyo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rubs hands together*  
> finally the plot begins

**Author's Note:**

> Most of the next chapter is written, so please let me know if there's any interest in this fic !!  
> sorry if it's a bit all over the place, i may or may not have changed up the plot halfway through and then revised it, so hopefully it makes enough sense
> 
> lots of love,  
> -Clash


End file.
